SUPPORT FAMILIES WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PATIENTS

Walk to End Alzheimer is the world's largest fundraising event for Alzheimer's care, aid and research. It aims to call on people of all ages to participate and join the fight against the disease. September 16, 2023 is the day when Walk to End Alzheimer is held in Denver. As of this day, a total of 451 teams have signed up to participate, raising a total of $972,882.27. More than 3,000 people came to participate in the fundraising walk on that day.

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Dozens of volunteers from the Alliance Care United Volunteer Association planned, formed teams, and exceeded the team donation target more than a month ago. Youth volunteers and parents designed and prepared T-shirts with ACUVA logo for the team members who participated in the walk in advance. Everyone worked together to do their best to support this public welfare event.

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On September 16, the sky was clear and cloudless. Under the blue sky, "Alzheimer's flowers" were blooming. These plastic flowers in different colors, like pinwheels, reminded me of the cartoon "Flower Fairy" I watched when I was a child. Each flower has its own flower language. Orange flowers represent support and concern for Alzheimer's disease; purple flowers symbolize loved ones lost due to Alzheimer's disease; yellow flowers represent caregivers of Alzheimer's patients; blue flowers represent living with Alzheimer's patients. These "alzheimer's flowers" bloom under the blue sky, head held high and facing the sun, announcing the tenacious fight of mankind against the disease!

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Among the volunteers of ACUVA who participated in the fundraising walk, many of them are relatives and friends who have experienced or are experiencing this very torturous disease. There are also direct caregivers among them. They have personally experienced their relatives gradually losing their memory and developing cognitive disorders. In the process of caring for Alzheimer's patients, they feel heartache, grievance, fatigue, and despair. This special group of people is more eager to be understood, cared for, and supported. They are more eager to hope that with the development of science and technology and medicine, humans can soon discover effective drugs and methods to treat Alzheimer's disease. By participating in such activities, they can closely connect with family members and friends who share the same disease. They can feel that "we are not alone".

 

The following are some sharings from volunteers who participated in the walk:

My mother had Alzheimer's disease in the last few years. She had short memory, gradually lost motor coordination, blurred consciousness, and dementia. Fortunately, she was taken care of and accompanied by her family, and she passed away peacefully. Alzheimer's disease has robbed many people of their health, causing many people to suffer physically and mentally, and their families to suffer endless pain. I hope that medical progress will allow patients to get rid of the pain brought by the disease as soon as possible, and I also hope that there will be fewer diseases and more health in the journey of life.

——Jinying

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......Our common goal is to overcome this most hateful disease with a long course of illness, which is almost incurable, and not only tortures patients but also tortures their relatives and caregivers.

——Wuhong

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Back in the 1990s, my grandfather gradually could not recognize the relatives around him until he could not take care of himself and died. At that time, medical diagnosis did not know what Alzheimer's disease was. In recent years, I have seen more friends around me exhausting themselves taking care of their parents with Alzheimer's disease, and I have learned more about Alzheimer's disease. I hope that in our lifetime, we will see the day when Alzheimer's disease is conquered by humans.

——Weining

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My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2020. The doctor said that he may have had it ten years ago. It is a pity because we had no idea that it was already in the late stage and lost the very limited opportunity for intervention. As a family member of the patient, I participated in the walking event with a yellow flower, and I am willing to share my experience with more people, so that your family can avoid detours and your loved ones can have a chance to survive!

——Shaoyan

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In China, September 17 is the "Chinese Alzheimer's Prevention and Treatment Day". Renyu, a youth volunteer of ACUVA, participated in the "Alzheimer's Disease Popular Science Promotion into the Community" event held in Shanda Road Community, Jimo, Qingdao on September 17, 2023.

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The event is divided into two parts: (1) Indoor popular science promotion. The event invited a professor from the Institute of Microbiology of Shandong University to give a popular science lecture on the diagnosis and treatment of AD and dementia and drug development; and invited the chief physician of Qilu Hospital who is engaged in the treatment of geriatric diseases to answer questions on site, as well as interactive self-testing of the disease. (2) Outdoor road publicity: Volunteers and parents carried out the walk to end Alzheimer’s disease road publicity, distributing more than 40 brochures. Explain popular science posters to passers-by. Volunteers said that they hope to convey such a message: We hope to let more people understand this disease, reduce misunderstandings, care more about the patients around them, and give more company and care to their parents. Let more people remember: Even if sick parents may forget their children one day, they still love their children the most in their hearts.

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The Alliance Care United Volunteer Association established the Alzheimer’s disease support project in 2022. The project includes translating information related to Alzheimer’s drugs and new treatment progress. Translating caregiver training videos. Establishing an Alzheimer’s caregiver support group and organizing various online lectures and offline activities. The volunteers of ACUVA hope that through their efforts, more patients and caregivers will feel the love and see the hope for the future. Just like the "Acupuncture Flower", it blooms brilliantly despite the wind and rain.

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​​How we will help：

1. Assist patient families in Asian community to obtain US local Alzheimer's personal care resources, place qualified home care workers in home, and facilitate basic Alzheimer's caregiver training 

2. Translate Alzheimer’s new research, care blogs, and care videos in Chinese language, host public seminars to improve disease awareness and prevention in Asian community

3. Organize and lead caregiver support group, emotionally support the patients families