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Just before the start of the Walk to End Alzheimer's Disease in San Diego in 2018, the 3,000 participants raised color-coded plastic flowers, symbolizing how the disease had touched their lives.
The caregivers wore yellow flowers. Alzheimer's disease is suffering from blue flowers. Clare Wells raised a purple flower – meaning that she had lost a loved one to the disease. Her husband, Jim, died in May. He was 64 years old.
Through the tears, Wells recalled the drastic changes that Alzheimer's brought to her family over the three years her husband suffered from the disease – denial, financial burden, wandering and worry .
"The number of people diagnosed and dying of this disease is staggering and there is no cure," Wells said. "Even with my husband, there were drugs to slow him down, but he would throw the drugs. It's devastating. He stopped talking. He would recognize me, but not too many words.
The Walk to End Alzheimer's Disease is one of the major fundraisers for the Alzheimer's Association San Diego / Imperial Chapter. Donations totaled $ 235,000 this year, less than the local's $ 365,000 goal. But contributions can continue to be made at the end of the year.
The money is used to fund education programs for Alzheimer's disease and dementia and their caregivers, as well as political advocacy, care consultation, support groups and other services.
At the national level, the Alzheimer's Association is also investing in scientific research to prevent disease and find a cure – including 17 projects at the local level at the University of San Diego, the Salk Institute and other organizations.
"We're funding $ 11 million worth of research right here in San Diego," said Kristen Cusato, assistant director of communications for the San Diego / Imperial Section of the Alzheimer's Association. "We are funding everything from research to whether physical exercise can reduce your risk of cognitive decline to new drugs to allow us to examine genetic risks."
Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible and progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking abilities and possibly the ability to perform the simplest tasks.
Estimates vary by the number of Americans with the disease, but experts suggest that it is greater than 5.5 million, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Randie Kolender-Hock, a long-time daughter of the San Diego Police Chief and County Sheriff Bill Kolender, has been working with the Alzheimer's Association for almost four years. His father died of the disease in 2015.
"Because people remember my father, it helps them to be more connected and more concerned about the disease," she said. "I'm just kissing that. It means so much to me that people remember him and take care of him, and I do it for his memory.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, the disease is now the third leading cause of death in California. Five days ago, Barbara Orozco-Valdivia's father passed away. He officially died of cancer, but he was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. As such, he did not fully understand why he needed cancer treatments.
"We need to be aware of the disease and its impact on the whole family, not just the person who has it," said Orozco-Valdivia, who chaired the Walk for the End of Alzheimer's Disease. "Be patient and learn these skills as a family member, understand the process and master it"
Tina Carpenter lost two uncles of the disease and another uncle was diagnosed. His mother suffers from dementia, his father being the sole caregiver.
"When a person you have loved all your life does not know who you are, there is simply no description," she said. "It breaks your heart."
Carpenter and Wells joined former classmates from Madison High in San Diego to participate in this year's Walk at Crown Point Park in Mission Bay. The group has resumed contact at the 40th High School meeting in 2017. The Madison High Walkers raised $ 3,200 for the Alzheimer's Association.
"They just provide excellent support," said Wells. "When my husband was diagnosed, I wanted to learn everything I could about the disease. So, you go there and get the search. "
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