Years ago, I lost my dear little grandma to Alzheimers. She slipped away from us by inches, losing bits of herself each day. She sort of folded in--losing interest in those she loved and forgetting how much we loved her. It broke my mother's heart when she didn't know her at the last.
Our family is not unique. The Alzheimer's Association reports 5.3 MILLION Americans suffer from this disease--and over 200,000 of them are under age 65. It's the 6th leading cause of death. It has no cure. A lot of people know the pain of this long goodbye.
That's why I'm glad to announce I'll be part of a boxed set of stories to benefit Alzheimer's research. One of the great things about going to RWA Nationals was catching up with some of my writer buddies. Like the amazing
Tammy Falkner. She writes the wildly popular young adult series based on the Reed brothers, who are tattoo artists. When she asked me to join her in this project, I jumped at the chance to contribute a short novella.
Here's the premise: My story is about Michael Evans, a char
acter from the Coldwater Cove series, who finds himself in NYC getting a tattoo at a
parlor where they're doing a reality TV show. He's Lacy's blacksheep brother. (You'll find Lacy's story in THE COLDWATER WARM HEARTS CLUB.) Michael will be the unlikely hero of MY BIG FAT COLDWATER WEDDING. Writing this short gives me a chance to explore a little of his backstory
and learn why he left town. . He got into trouble--at home, in school,
& with the law--almost constantly, but his grandmother was the only person who believed
he'd amount to anything. Getting the tat is Michael's way to remember Gran and to mark
a change in him.
The anthology, titled FORGET ME NOT, will be available in November and ALL proceeds will be donated to Alzheimer's research. I hope you'll enjoy these stories of remembrance and help us raise money to fight this horrible disease. Be sure to sign up for The Coldwater Warm Hearts Club newsletter to be notified when the set is available.
What an imaginative and meaningful way to offer support to those whose lives have been and are being touched by Alheimers . . . and to honor loved ones who've suffered through that most-feared disease. Love the idea!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marcy. I've been enjoying digging into this short story.
DeleteThat's wonderful. My sister was recently diagnosed . Although I knew something was different Whenever we spoke by phone but never imagined that's what it could be. Thank you .
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
That's wonderful. My sister was recently diagnosed . Although I knew something was different Whenever we spoke by phone but never imagined that's what it could be. Thank you .
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
I'm sorry to hear about your sister, Carol. My prayer is that they'll find a way to arrest and reverse this awful disease.
DeleteI think my husband is in early -onset Alzheimers but cannot get him to get tested - and he is in total denial-- hard to see him deteriorating when he was a genius- literally.
ReplyDeleteI understand his resistance. It must be a terrifying prospect. But I think we all have "senior moments" when we wonder where that whip-sharp mind we used to enjoy has gone. I know I do. My DH and I say between the two of us, we still have a brain. Anyway, I hope that's what's going on with your husband.
DeletePerhaps if you have other family members who can help you encourage him to get tested, that would help. There are some treatments that can help and according to the Alzheimer's association, there are clinical trials for new drugs that will cure instead of just mask symptoms. http://www.alz.org/research/science/alzheimers_disease_treatments.asp
My Mother passed away a few years ago from Alzheimer's, and I think about her, and miss her every day. Her disease progressed very slowly, and it was agonizing to not only watch, but to be defenseless in trying to help her on a daily basis. My Dad refused to get outside help for her, so my Husband and I did all we could to go out there and give him a hand on a daily basis. I still remember all those days she was in one of her "moods" and yelled at me to get out of her house! lol However, looking back, I have fond memories of her, not only throughout my life while she was well, but while she had Alzheimer's, since we had a special bond during that time as well. I did a lot of reading, and treated her the best I could. She was able to respond to me, when I walked in the door, even if she didn't know I was her Daughter anymore, and that was fine with me. Sorry for the long post. I'll be looking for your book later this year.
ReplyDeleteBless you. That's showing love with your time and your hands and your heart. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, but so glad for your mom (and your dad) that she had such a devoted daughter. Sending hugs!
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