Raising Alzheimer's Awareness

“We are all here, joined in pain but united in hope!” This comment from a fellow advocate resonated with me this past June when I attended the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC. It was an amazing experience to gather with over 1000 other advocates from across the country, using our collective voices to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. It was even more meaningful to advocate alongside my mother and brother, in memory of four family members we have lost to Alzheimer’s disease. I felt honored to share my story with legislators, emphasizing the impact funding, research and support provided by the Alzheimer’s Association has for families like mine.

On Capitol Hill, my team of advocates from the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter had very successful meetings with our congressional offices, including my representative, Mike Quigley. During the meeting, we stressed the importance of continued funding for research, especially as recent funding increases have led to significant progress toward the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Each of our personal stories touched on how our experience with the disease drives our advocacy and motivates us to encourage legislators to continue building on the progress we’ve made while remaining committed to providing funding for research, treatments and ultimately a cure for this devastating disease.

Thanks to broad bipartisan support in Congress over the past decade, we’ve made significant scientific advancements toward better detection, prevention and treatments for Alzheimer's. At this pivotal point in our fight, we cannot afford not to fund the research needed to, one day, celebrate the first survivor of this disease. Join me in urging Mike Quigley to help us get there by supporting an additional $113.485 million for research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Our families, our economy and our communities are straining under the weight of this disease. Together, we can make a difference by not only investing in progress, but investing in hope. To learn more about the progress in our fight, or if you are a caregiver needing more information or resources, please visit alz.org.