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Hundreds gather to raise Alzheimer's awareness
Allison Phillips photo
The Forget Me Not team cheers during team introductions before the Iredell County Memory Walk for the Alzheimer’s Association on Saturday morning in Troutman.
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Published: October 11, 2009
TROUTMAN — Earl Berry was silent as he stood next to his daughter, Karen Clodfelter, under the Depot's shelter while waiting for the Iredell County Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association to begin.
A small smile was on his face, and occasionally he would reach over to stroke the small dog, Opie, squirming in Clodfelter's right arm.
Clodfelter had to prompt her father to talk, and even then Berry, who is 77 and living through stage six of Alzheimer's Disease, spoke only one word at a time.
"It's like that Adam Sandler movie '50 First Dates,' " Clodfelter said. "It's like 50 good mornings. You learn to remember the person he was and accept the person he is."
Like many caregivers at the Iredell County Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association, Clodfelter continues to make difficult decisions about her father's care.
The Memory Walk is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care, support and research. Since 1989, the Memory Walk has raised more than $260 million for the degenerative disease.
About 350 walkers were at the Depot on a rainy Saturday morning not only to raise money for research and a cure, but also to celebrate, said Iredell Memory Walk Co-Chairman Stuart Madow. The hope was that each step could possibly provide another day in which their loved ones keep that spark in their eye.
Madow said he was pleased with the turnout, considering the rain.
"I'm very happy," he said.
Many of the walkers know what it is like to hear about the "A" word for the first time.
Clodfelter remembers asking her father what it meant. He said it meant that he was going to be all right. She said the A stands for attitude.
Berry has made it through the past 12 years because of good doctors, medicine and pet therapy. Clodfelter said her father doesn't remember names anymore, except for Opie's.
"He is the cog in the gear that makes this move," she said, squeezing the dog a little. "It's never easy."
Some of the ongoing research has helped doctors diagnose the disease more accurately, said Margaret Moody, program associate with the Western Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
"Early detection is a high priority," she said.
Caretaker and family education is another priority for the association, Moody said.
Family members need to know what they are dealing with, and the Alzheimer's Association can provide the education and support groups that will be necessary as a loved one's condition progresses, she said.
Moody said there are some promising clinical trials and research under way.
"This is a hopeful time right now," she said.
Michelle Muff formed "Team Muff" three days before the walk, and still managed to raise around $1,000. Muff's mother, Sharon, who is also her best friend, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's on Oct. 1.
Her nieces, Amber and Lindsey Kirkland, and dog, "Buddy Muff," were walking with her.
Muff said people should contact their representatives in Congress about lowering the co-pays on Alzheimer's medications. Many of the medications don't have a similar generic brand and are expensive, she said.
Not enough attention or discussion about the disease is going on at the local, state or national level, said Mark Wellman, who was attending the event with his wife Tammy and daughter Makayla.
Unlike many of Saturday's walkers, the Wellmans have never directly felt the affects of Alzheimer's. However, they felt it was a worthy cause, so they braved the rain to walk with the Crossroads Behavioral Health team.
Muff said her "A" words are awareness, awakeness and appreciation for each day.
"We aren't taking this lying down," she said. "Something good will come out of it."
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