Walk to End Alzheimer's returns to Mount Airy

One of the rites of autumn, at least in these parts, is the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Mount Airy’s Riverside Park.

Sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association — Western Carolina Chapter, the gathering brings together those who have lost loved ones to Alzheimer’s with those struggling with care-giving for a family member suffering from the disease. Even as such efforts in neighboring counties have faded — some even ceasing to exist — the Mount Airy version of the annual gathering has remained strong, often drawing more than 300 walkers.

This year the effort comes at a time when the landscape of Alzheimer’s patients and families may be changing, for the better, according to organizers of the event.

“This is a pivotal moment in the fight against Alzheimer’s. There are now treatments that change the course of the disease,” said Katherine L. Lambert, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association — Western Carolina Chapter. “We hope that everyone in our community can join us by starting a team to help the Alzheimer’s Association raise awareness and funds for families facing the disease today, take more steps toward treatments and finally ending this disease.”

While some treatments are showing early promise, those with the association say there is still a long way to go before stamping out the condition — a disease that leads to dementia and a host of other issues, eventually claiming the life of the victim. Because of the nature of the disease, causing significant mental decline and behavioral changes, the long-term, 24-hour-a-day nature of the care needed takes a toll on the family — emotionally, physically, and often financially.

The purpose of the walk — this year’s is set for for Sept. 14 at Riverside Park, with a 10 a.m. opening ceremony — is many-fold. It is a chance to show solidarity and emotional support to those dealing with a family member suffering from the disease; an opportunity for those dealing with Alzheimer’s in their family to learn of community resources which can help; and a way to keep the need for research on the condition in the public eye, according to Jenni Walker, spokesperson for the organization.

“There are so many resources for people going through that journey,” she said, but oftentimes family members aren’t aware of those resources, the help and support that is available.

The walk also serves as a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association, with walkers raising money either individually or as a team, by getting sponsors for the walk. While folks can register online to join the walk and raise money, they can also register the day of the event, with registration and check-in beginning at 9 a.m.

In addition to the walk, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with a Promise Garden ceremony — “a mission-focused experience that signifies our solidarity in the fight against the disease. During the ceremony, walkers will carry flowers of various colors, each color representing their personal connection to the disease,” according to Lambert.

Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease — a leading cause of death in the United States, according to the association.

“Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In North Carolina alone, there are more than 210,000 people living with the disease and 373,000 caregivers. Surry County has an Alzheimer’s prevalence rate of 10.7% in its age 65 and older population.”

One person who plans to be at the walk is Becky Pasour. She and her family lost their dad, Donald Hendren, to Alzheimer’s.

Hendren, along with his wife, Rhoda, raised Becky and her two sisters Debbie Pruitt and Donna Hendren, on a third-generation farm and apple orchard in Wilkes County. Donald Hendren was by all accounts healthy and strong, according to his daughter, Pasour. He worked until finally retiring at age 85, and even then stayed on at the orchard helping to train and teach the new management.

During a routine medical exam, doctor’s noticed some cognitive decline, and told the family he might be suffering from early-stages of dementia, but the physician told the family there was nothing to worry about, according to information she supplied to the Alzheimer’s Association.

A couple of months later, he was involved in a tractor accident which resulted in a traumatic brain injury. His personality seemed to change overnight, she said. He became aggressive, combative, and suffered from significant cognitive decline. He was soon diagnosed with late-stage dementia and, just 14 months after the accident, died.

“It was not until Becky and her sisters started doing some research and found the Alzheimer’s Association website that they began to understand what dementia was and ways they could better help him,” the association said.

“I remember during that time how devastated I felt when my dad didn’t remember who I was — that I was his daughter,” said Becky. “He remembered my two older sisters, but I was a stranger to him. I learned to enjoy the precious moments when they showed themselves and not dwell on the times his mind was failing him.”

“Dementia is a disease that affects the entire family,” said Becky. “It is a disease that robs your loved one of their memories, their feeling of home and security. It was not something me or my family knew anything about or had any experience with until it affected my dad. The Alzheimer’s Association provided us with so much information and guidance that I was inspired to volunteer with the organization and conduct educational programs on dementia to help others.”

She and her family were involved in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Wilkes County from 2015 through 2018, but that event eventually ceased to exist. This year, she and her family are becoming involved with the Mount Airy walk to honor and remember their father, as well as his four sisters, all of whom died from dementia in the years after his death.

To register as a participant or team captain or to learn more about becoming a sponsor or volunteer of Walk to End Alzheimer’s — Mount Airy, visit act.alz.org/MountAiry or call 800-272-3900.