Dear Editor,

 

As a volunteer advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association’s sister organization, the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM), I know we all want the money raised as well as the money the government assigns to health care, used wisely.  The Alzheimer’s Association estimates there are more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and more than 16 million Alzheimer’s caregivers. As an Alzheimer’s advocate, it is my honor to represent them.

Congress just passed the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act and the President signed it into law.  I want to thank our local Congressman Brian Babin for championing this meaningful legislation. We will now be better able to fight this devastating disease that took my amazing mother, Katherine, from all of us who loved her so dearly.  The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act will allow for effective Alzheimer’s public health interventions to be implemented across the country.

Research efforts for things like heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS have been successful.  We can hold that same vision for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Alzheimer’s related costs are now over $277 billion in the last year. The passage of the BOLD Act shows that elected officials are working together to address Alzheimer’s as a public health crisis – not just from a funding standpoint, but also from a caregiver standpoint.

We can all help the cause by advocating for more research funding, apply a public health approach to reduce risk, detect early symptoms, and advance care.  Congressman Brian Babin is helping to change the trajectory of this devastating disease.

Every 65 seconds someone develops the Alzheimer’s disease.  Let’s hope it’s not someone you love. Learn all you can about Alzheimer’s and how you can join the fight to end Alzheimer’s at alz.org.  Help work towards the vision of a WORLD WITHOUT ALZHEIMER’S! The first survivor of Alzheimer’s is out there.

 

BJ Smith

Alzheimer’s Association Advocate

Houston & Southeast TX Chapter

Deer Park, TX