Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 21, is World Alzheimer’s Day. Tomorrow we remember those among us who suffer from Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body and other related dementias. According to the Alzheimer’s Association web site 35 million people are living with the effects of some form of dementia worldwide. This number is expected to continue to grow. Chances are that you have someone in your family or social circle that has dementia. If you don’t today, you may someday.
Dementia is often misunderstood. A friend asked me this weekend while on the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk, “I don’t understand how losing your memory can kill you.” Well, dementia is not just about losing your memory. When you have dementia your brain cells die; they cease to function they way they are supposed to and that creates not only memory problems, but other physical problems. Education and awareness is a key goal for the Alzheimer’s Association and the Lewy Body Dementia Association.
Education and awareness is what World Alzheimer’s Day is all about. It is a day for educating ourselves about dementia. It is also a day for speaking out about the need for more funding and more research.
Won’t you take a moment to visit the Alzheimer’s site and sign the petition to ask Congress to take this matter seriously? It takes just a few minutes to fill out the petition that can make a world of difference.
Collecting Ebenezers as I travel through life. "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12
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