BY STACEY WALLACE
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA —
According to the National Institute on Aging, “on Nov. 2, 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness.
“The woman’s symptoms included: memory loss, language problems and unpredictable behavior.
“Also, after she died, Alzheimer examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps [now called amyloid plaques] and tangled bundles of fibers [now called neurofibrillary, or tau, tangles].”
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than six million Americans, most of them age 65 or older, may have Alzheimer’s.
“Alzheimer’s is currently ranked as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. Other forms of dementia include: Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal disorders or vascular dementia. It is even common for people to have mixed dementia, which is a combination of two or more types.”
Since 1906, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia has meant death, and there was no slowing of the disease’s progression. Until now.
Recently, two drugs, Lecanemab and Aducanumab, have given dementia patients a ray of hope.
The drugs, which have been approved by the Food & Drug Administration, have been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s in patients who are in the early stage of the disease.
These new drugs are the results of the Alzheimer’s Association’s tireless efforts to raise money for research which will one day, hopefully, find a cure.
About a year ago, Cailyn Thompson became the walk manager for East Alabama, West Alabama and Mobile Bay. Thompson said she first began working for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s as a volunteer when she was a student at the University of Alabama.
Thompson said that the East Alabama Walk to End Alzheimer’s started in Auburn back in 2014. This year, the East Alabama Walk will be held on Sunday, Oct. 29, at Kiesel Park in Auburn.
According to Thompson, registration for the walk will be from 2 to 3 p.m. People may register to walk right up to the day of the event by going to act.alz.org/auburn.
As of this writing, Thompson said that there were 269 participants in this year’s walk; by walk day, the number will probably be 300.
“At 3 p.m., we will have the Promise Garden Ceremony,” Thompson said. “Whoever attends the walk will get a pinwheel flower; every color represents a color related to the disease.”
For example, the color orange represents people who have no direct connection to Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia; these people just support a world without Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Purple flowers are given to those who have lost someone to the disease. Yellow flowers will be given to caregivers of dementia patients. Blue flowers are given to people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Then one person will hold a white flower, which represents the first person who survives Alzheimer’s. The flowers are then planted, and participants may take them home after the walk, which will begin immediately after this ceremony.
“We use flowers because we believe that flowers are fighters and can still bring beauty in unexpected places, just like those living with Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia are fighters and still bring beauty to our lives,” Thompson explained.
Thompson said that the East Alabama Walk to End Alzheimer’s event will be family and pet friendly. There will also be costume contests for all ages, and prizes will be awarded.
In addition, Auburn Mayor Ron Anders will speak, and D.J. Ozz will be at the walk to entertain the crowd. Also, Aubie will be in attendance from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.
In addition, Lynn Mott, who is the chairman of the East Alabama Walk to End Alzheimer’s, will emcee the event. Mott is a team member of “The Motty Crew,” and will participate in the walk.
Mott was the caregiver to her Grandmother Dorothea, who lived with her for six months. Dorothea, who had Alzheimer’s, passed away two months ago; she was almost 92 years old.
Mott, who is a financial adviser at Merrill Lynch and who lives in Opelika said, “My Grandmother and Grandfather lived in Maryland, and I used to stay with them in the summer.
“They called me their Ratzenfratzer when I was little. They were instrumental in my success and were the salt of the earth.”
Mott said she treasured the time that she cared for her Grandmother Dorothea.
“She still called me Ratzenfratzer, and we shag danced together. I let her be independent, and she felt safe and secure.”
Mott worked at home a lot; when she was gone, she made sure that she stuck to her grandmother’s routine, which is essential when caring for a dementia patient. Mott laid out her grandmother’s clothes, meals, etc., for the day.
At the time, her grandmother could bathe herself, fix her hair, etc. Mott also installed cameras throughout her house so that she could watch out for her grandmother because she worried about her when she wasn’t home with her.
Unfortunately, several months before her death, Grandmother Dorothea opened the front door of the house, let the dogs out, and then couldn’t get back inside. She wandered around the neighborhood, and, thankfully, a neighbor found her. Mott knew then that her grandmother needed 24/7 care; therefore, Mott’s mother found a nursing home for Grandmother Dorothea.
Join the East Alabama Walk to End Alzheimer’s this year. Donations may be sent using the QR code in this article or by donating online on the Alzheimer’s Associations website. In addition, donations will be collected in envelopes at the walk in Auburn on Oct. 29.
Help the people of East Alabama find a cure for Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Last year, the walk raised $52,219. Let’s do even better this year.