My
grandfather, Papa German, had Alzheimer's. Though he lived to be 98 years
old, it was saddening to see him deteriorate so quickly once the disease
started to affect him. He used to take my brother and I to see beautiful
places in our country, have lunch by the beach on a whim and buy us whatever we
wanted. He defended and protected me from the animals he raised on his
farm. He went from a strong, limber, and hardworking patriarch to a
helpless shadow of a man who could do nothing for himself and could not
remember our names, nor what he had for lunch, or what day it happened to
be. It broke my heart to see him cry for the loss of his wife, a memory
he relived daily in the later stages of the disease.
My
great-grandmother, Mama Marta, also was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I had
no idea until I visited her once in the summer of 2008. She was laying
down, unable to get around on her own any longer. I went to say hello to
her and she couldn't remember who I was. I wanted to introduce her to my
husband, but all I could do was fight my tears. I stayed with her a while
just talking to her, holding her hand, playing with her soft, curly, salt and
pepper hair. When I finally said goodbye and walked towards the door she
said to me "I know who you are. My Tanita." It took all
my strength to retain my composure and walk over to give her another kiss, what
was to be the last one I'd ever give her. She left this world just 3
months after that. I remember her now not how I saw her on that last day,
but as she always was, independent, no-nonsense, and one of the strongest women
I have ever known.
As a nurse
working on a Geriatrics unit in the first years of my career, I cared for many
patients affected by Dementia and Alzheimer's. My mother was a home health
aid for over 25 years and my mother-in-law is a Certified Nursing
Assistant. As caregivers we have witnessed first-hand the devastation
this disease causes not only for our clients, but for their families as
well. Together, my family and I will continue to raise awareness and
fight to find a cure so that no one has to live with Alzheimer's.
My husband
Julio's hard work and dedication to running inspired me to join him in running
the ING NYC Marathon in 2012. After its cancellation, we ran the Miami
Marathon in January 2013. Later that year, we signed up to finish what we
started and completed the ING NYC Marathon. Even though I hate running (I
seriously do) having the opportunity to be a part of this team for this cause
motivates me every time to lace up my sneakers, head out the door, and run to
End Alzheimer's. And that is why this year, I'm back for more hoping to
complete Chicago and running NYC again.
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