To the Editor:
Alzheimer’s Disease is devastating, along with all associated dementias. That’s why I am volunteering as an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. The progress we have made in this fight to end Alzheimer’s would not have been possible without bipartisan Congressional support. This November, I am thankful to work with my representative, Greg Pence, in honor of my Mother. Mom was a vibrant, lively Italian-American woman who was passionate about her family, her cooking, her community, and her church. Then, in her late 60s, she started to lose her memory, and the ability to care for herself. Diagnosis: Lewy Body Dementia. For 14 long years, she went from “full of life” to “vegetable-like” – unable to walk.. to talk… to move.. needing a hydraulic lift to be transferred from the bed to the chair. This was devastating for our whole family. By volunteering as an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association, I am using my voice to make a difference against Alzheimer’s and all associated dementias.
We have made huge strides in the last 10 years, but our work is not yet done. With the National Alzheimer’s Project Act set to expire in 2025, we need Congress to support the NAPA Reauthorization Act to make sure progress in addressing Alzheimer’s and dementia continues. Additionally, the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue to submit an annual Professional Judgement Budget to Congress to ensure Alzheimer’s and dementia research is funded at appropriate levels.
We can’t risk losing the progress we’ve made. Join me in asking Congressman Greg Pence to cosponsor and support the NAPA Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act. Together we are changing the trajectory of Alzheimer’s and all other dementia – but we can’t stop now.
Joanna Milto-Bergin
Fortville
