Finding Inspiration in Inadvertant Places

In case you haven't noticed by the excessive amount of photos on my social media accounts, I had the distinct honor of attending the Alzheimer's Association's Advocacy Forum in March. But one story in particular moved me to tears. One of the board members of the Early Onset Advisory board shared his story, and I want to share it with y'all.

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Hanging out with Mike at the National Alzheimer's Dinner

I want y'all to meet one of my heroes, Mike. I had the pleasure of meeting Mike at this year's advocacy forum - and his story moved me to tears. In 2013, at just 52 years old, Mike was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. But instead of treating his diagnosis as something to be met with fear and terror, he used his diagnosis as a motivator to fight for a cure. Mike was named to the Early Advisory Board for the Alzheimer's Association and continues to participate in his local Walk2EndAlz in Massachusetts. 

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Hearing Mike's story was inspiring and motivating. I love that I have someone to look up to that uses his story to motivate others and let's it be his motivation. Mike's transparency and willingness to share his story spoke to how the stigma associated with Alzheimer's is changing.Mike told us during his panel interview that his diagnosis and battle with this disease is something he never wants to hide; because in order to change the stigma of this disease, we have to be okay with talking about it. We have to be able to openly converse about Alzheimer's and stop whispering about it behind closed doors. 

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To Read More about Mike's Story, Check out THIS article, THIS article, or THIS article. 

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