Spotlight - Matthew Baier

A person can change a lot in two years, especially when that person is suffering from dementia as in my mother’s case. In 2013, I completed my first marathon; it was a truly amazing experience made even more memorable because I ran with Athletes to End Alzheimer’s.

At that point my mom was just beginning to need a home health aide – mostly to keep her company, but also to prevent her from taking long walks with her dog for fear she may not be able to find her way home. My father was still working full-time though spending less and less time at the office.

Fast forward two years… my father has since retired yet instead of spending his golden years golfing, visiting children and grandchildren, and vacationing with my mother, he spends his days making sure she remembers to eat, takes her medication, and is being properly cared for. In the beginning, we were very fortunate that the disease progressed fairly slowly. However, the past few years have been marked by a steady decline. She can longer be left alone and needs assistance with even the most basic tasks that many of us take for granted. Although this dreaded disease is robbing my family of a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, it has not been able to take away her love of people.  My mother may not know our names or how we are related to her, but she does know that we belong in her life and finds comfort being around her family.

When I finished that marathon back in 2013, I thought that was it -- mission accomplished. I had raised nearly $10,000 for an amazing cause while completing a personal goal. However, when I saw that the 2015 TCS NYC Marathon was being held on November 1st, I knew I had to lace up my running shoes one more time. On Marathon Sunday both of my parents will be celebrating their 78th birthdays. What could be more perfect than to honor my parents by running and raising awareness for this terrible disease that has had such a tremendous impact on us all.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to once again accept the challenge of running 26.2 miles through the five boroughs of New York City as a member of Athletes to End Alzheimer's and completing the marathon in honor of my mother Hattie.