Brighton Resident Helen Tannas Turns 92

Longtime Brighton resident Helen Tannas is celebrating her 92nd birthday Tuesday, but if you ask her, she won't remember it.

Pat Kovach said they will have a small celebration for her mother's birthday, but nothing out of the ordinary since it would confuse Tannas.

"We stick to a routine," she said.

Tannas was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 10 years ago. She lives with her daughter, Kovach who takes care of Tannas along with some help from her daughter, Lauren Smith.

Alzheimer's disease causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time.

"You're whole life changes," Kovach said. "It's a total commitment to the person who has the disease."

"You become the nurse, the medication giver, the chauffeur, the beauty stylist, the best friend," Smith added.

Moved by the disease their mom and grandmother is enduring, Kovach and Smith decided to join the fight to raise money and awareness by participating in the Walk to End Alzheimers, which will take place on Sept. 16 at Mill Pond Park.

Both women decided to get involved three years ago - first with the Memory Walk in Ann Arbor, then with the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Brighton which started last year.

"I had googled purple Alzheimer's shirt and I found alz.org," Smith said. "And we said, 'There's a walk? How did we not know about this?' So we just came out and raised a little bit of money."

Smith's team, called 'Team Chupe!' raised $1,250 last year.

Chupe means little girl in Macedonian, which is where Tannas is from originally.

"Shortly after she got diagnosed, I just started calling her chupe and saying, 'you're my girl,'" Smith said. "Now 10 years later, chupe just stuck."

For more information on the Brighton Walk to End Alzheimer's, visit alz.org.