I am volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Walk because my father died from Alzheimer’s in 2008 after more than ten years with the diagnosis. It is a horrible disease and it was devastating to watch my dad, who was my idol, so diminished, become less than a shadow of his former self.

I volunteer because I truly believe that if we all act together we will be able to find a cure. People got organized, raised money, lobbied Congress, joined trials, and now a diagnosis of heart disease, cancer and AIDS is no longer a death sentence. We need to do this for Alzheimer’s, we need to find a cure.

I volunteer and created Assisting Hands to End Alzheimer’s Walk team because I want something better for our society and I worry about what Alzheimer’s can do to our nation, the economic and social impacts are massive! Each year we live longer and more of us are diagnosed with the disease. Today:

Alzheimer’s disease is the 6^th leading cause of death in the United States,
5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, by 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 14 million (146% increase),
Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the nation $277 billion; by 2050, these costs are expected to rise as high as $1.1 trillion (almost a 300% increase)!

This is only in the USA, imagine the impact worldwide!

The figures above refer to the patients affected by the disease, but in addition to them, there are the millions of unpaid caregivers (16.1 million Americans) who provided over 18.4 billion hours of care. Many times, these caregivers are forced to quit their jobs, or must juggle care with a demanding career. Based on these statistics, many experts fear that Alzheimer’s could nearly bankrupt us.