Por qué viajo: I ride for my Mom, Iola Cates, quien falleció en 2013 después de vivir con Alzheimer's for several years. I also ride for my Dad, Charles Cates (aka Chuck or Charlie), her primary caregiver, who passed away in 2020. I'm asking for your support to raise funds for research to End Alzheimer's que afecta a 6.5 millones de estadounidenses.
Iola and Charlie were married for over 50 years. Together they raised four kids and one of the most important lessons they taught us was taking care of family and friends. Before Iola was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, their lives were already touched by dementia. Iola's Mom and Aunt both suffered from dementia - Iola and Charles helped take care of them both. Her own ALZ diagnosis changed their lives; they weren’t able to entertain and travel as much but their love remained strong. Dad was Mom’s constant caregiver. As her care needs increased, he finally and reluctantly made the tough decision for her to be cared for at an assisted living facility where he visited her daily. My family and especially my sister Wendy pitched in to care for her. We were blessed that Mom kept her cheerful personality, always smiling at us even when she wasn't certain who we were. And she always knew Dad. I’ll always treasure seeing Mom’s incredible smile that she reserved for Dad. Even Alzheimer’s couldn’t take their away their love for each other. And that was a gift. Entonces, a cambio de ese regalo, viajamos por Iola y Charlie y todos Alzheimer's pacientes y cuidadores.
Estoy pidiendo su apoyo para recaudar fondos para Alzheimer's investigación a través de Ride to End ALZ. Este es un evento de recaudación de fondos de un día donde cada dólar recaudado apoya los esfuerzos de la Asociación de Alzheimer para descubrir métodos de tratamiento y prevención para la enfermedad de Alzheimer.
Thank you for cheering me on. And Here's to excellent Brain Health for all.
Leslie
¡Anímame!