Analysis: The Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease
The Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease
You may not see a lot of difference between these two pictures but I do. Because this picture on your left is my grandfather before Alzheimer’s and the one on the right is after. So I see a major difference between the two, to me they are completely different people. The reason you don’t see the change I do is because Alzheimer’s affects the brain in ways that brings on severe memory loss. This is why we need more funding into the research for a cure of Alzheimer’s. it is a disease that affects the lives of most Americans, therefore we need a better way to create funding towards a treatment. As you may have notices Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect the person with the disease but also everyone close to
them. According to the American Foundation of Alzheimer’s, or AFA, one in every eight elderly people is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which means on average about one half of the nation has atleast one grandparent suffering from the disease. Alzheimer’s is also the sixth largest cause of death in America which just adds to the severity of the disease. Alzheimer’s becomes worse over time and has seven stages, the first of which is normal function, second is very mild cognitive decline, the third is mild cognitive decline, fourth is moderate cognitive decline, and ranging to seventh which is very sever cognitive decline in which the individual is unable to respond to his or her environment, carry of a conversation, and even control movement. Also in most cases the symptoms are not noticeable to others, including doctors, until stage four. There may not be a cure for Alzheimer’s but you may be able to treat it or slow the symptoms. Now that you understand the severity of the disease we can talk about why we need more research into a cur and better treatments. As I said before there is no cure for the disease only treatments which can average between $78,110-$87,235 per year, and since an average person only lives eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease you could be looking at between $624,880 and almost $700,000 for treatment which, for most families, is completely unaffordable. The AFA is the leading charity in education, grants for treatment, and funding for a cure. Donating to the AFA will give money to grants to help people afford treatment and also supply researchers with more supplies for creating a cure or a better treatment method. Now that you know why we need more money for research let me tell you how we can raise the money. Different ways to donate to the AFA are donating directly through the site by tribute donation, monthly donation, general donation, or don’t to a walker in the annual A Walk to End Alzheimer’s event which is held at multiple locations every year including Lexington, KY, Louisville, KY, and Bowling Green, KY, or if you prefer to get creative and come up with your own event in which you donate all the proceeds to an organization of your choice there is always a new way to raise money for a good cause. For example bake sales, parties for a cure, or silent auctions are all great ways to raise money. I hope you realize why finding a cure is so important to me and to the millions of other people that are going through the same thing I am, the people that know how I feel when I look at this picture and I compare who he is now to the great memories I had and why I don’t see the same man who taught me how to fish but instead I see a man who resembles him, that wants and fights to be him but can’t because this cureless disease has hindered him severely. This is why we all need to join him in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
You may not see a lot of difference between these two pictures but I do. Because this picture on your left is my grandfather before Alzheimer’s and the one on the right is after. So I see a major difference between the two, to me they are completely different people. The reason you don’t see the change I do is because Alzheimer’s affects the brain in ways that brings on severe memory loss. This is why we need more funding into the research for a cure of Alzheimer’s. it is a disease that affects the lives of most Americans, therefore we need a better way to create funding towards a treatment. As you may have notices Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect the person with the disease but also everyone close to
them. According to the American Foundation of Alzheimer’s, or AFA, one in every eight elderly people is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which means on average about one half of the nation has atleast one grandparent suffering from the disease. Alzheimer’s is also the sixth largest cause of death in America which just adds to the severity of the disease. Alzheimer’s becomes worse over time and has seven stages, the first of which is normal function, second is very mild cognitive decline, the third is mild cognitive decline, fourth is moderate cognitive decline, and ranging to seventh which is very sever cognitive decline in which the individual is unable to respond to his or her environment, carry of a conversation, and even control movement. Also in most cases the symptoms are not noticeable to others, including doctors, until stage four. There may not be a cure for Alzheimer’s but you may be able to treat it or slow the symptoms. Now that you understand the severity of the disease we can talk about why we need more research into a cur and better treatments. As I said before there is no cure for the disease only treatments which can average between $78,110-$87,235 per year, and since an average person only lives eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease you could be looking at between $624,880 and almost $700,000 for treatment which, for most families, is completely unaffordable. The AFA is the leading charity in education, grants for treatment, and funding for a cure. Donating to the AFA will give money to grants to help people afford treatment and also supply researchers with more supplies for creating a cure or a better treatment method. Now that you know why we need more money for research let me tell you how we can raise the money. Different ways to donate to the AFA are donating directly through the site by tribute donation, monthly donation, general donation, or don’t to a walker in the annual A Walk to End Alzheimer’s event which is held at multiple locations every year including Lexington, KY, Louisville, KY, and Bowling Green, KY, or if you prefer to get creative and come up with your own event in which you donate all the proceeds to an organization of your choice there is always a new way to raise money for a good cause. For example bake sales, parties for a cure, or silent auctions are all great ways to raise money. I hope you realize why finding a cure is so important to me and to the millions of other people that are going through the same thing I am, the people that know how I feel when I look at this picture and I compare who he is now to the great memories I had and why I don’t see the same man who taught me how to fish but instead I see a man who resembles him, that wants and fights to be him but can’t because this cureless disease has hindered him severely. This is why we all need to join him in the fight against Alzheimer’s.