Time to walk the walk — annual fundraiser is another step toward better Alzheimer’s and dementia prevention and care
Now in its ninth year as a national event, IG Wealth Management and the Alzheimer Society are teaming up to raise critical funds to support Alzheimer Society programs and services.
From the beginning, Phyllis Fehr was determined to be seen.
Not to go into hiding. Not be confined indoors to wither away like her grandmother was forced to. Not to keep it a secret like her father had done when her mother was diagnosed.
Even though she knew genetics played a role in being the third generation to be given an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, she was adamant about breaking the cycle of isolation, desolation and resignation.
“I was 53 years old when, as a mother of nine, I was told I had early-onset Alzheimer’s,” says Fehr, whose family includes six foster children.
The former ICU nurse, who will celebrate her sixtyfifth birthday this month, says, “I had an inkling I was ‘next in line,’ but it still took me five years to get a proper diagnosis and start planning the rest of my life.”
Or was it more a case of what was left of the life she knew?
That became the focal point of her advocacy work as an anti-stigma and empowerment leader, which would lead to Alzheimer’s being recognized as part of the United Nation’s Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“You don’t start your journey with the disease as a disabled person,” says Fehr, who serves as patient advisory lead on the Alzheimer Society of Canada’s Board of Directors.
“While everyone is affected differently, we need to start thinking about how people living with dementia can take control of the trajectory of their lives — and being the ones to make decisions about their quality of life — before the end stage.”
There are parallels between Phyllis’ lived experience and the evolution of the IG Management Walk for Alzheimer’s, which takes place in communities across Canada the weekend of May 25 to 26 in support of the more than 650,000 people in Canada living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“The walk started as a small gathering of people, held indoors, as if we wanted to keep it — much like the disease — to ourselves. But it’s wonderful to see how it’s become this great open-air event, with families, friends and caregivers coming together to raise awareness and funds,” says Fehr, who will be walking again this year in her hometown of Hamilton.
By 2030, it is expected that more than 500 Canadians will be diagnosed with dementia every day, underscoring its status as arguably the greatest health challenge of Canada’s aging population. Close to one million people are expected to be living with dementia by that time.
Now in its ninth year as a national event, IG Wealth Management and the Alzheimer Society are teaming up to raise critical funds to support Alzheimer Society programs and services.
“Alzheimer’s disease and dementia strike every community. We all know someone living with, or affected by, dementia, which is why it’s important to raise awareness through initiatives like the walk,” says Christopher Barry, chief executive officer of the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
“We are calling on communities from across the country to rally together and take part in the walk to show your support and help us shape the future of Alzheimer’s and dementia care in Canada.”
The funds raised will go toward local programs and services that improve quality of life for people living with dementia and their families, as well as support awareness and education about the disease.
Participants from across the country can sign up, create their teams and start fundraising by visiting Walkforalzheimers.ca. Walkers are also encouraged to share who they’re walking for on social media, using the official hashtag: #Igwalkforalz.
For Phyllis Fehr, it all comes down to showing “LUVE.”
“We need to Listen, Understand, Validate and Empower (LUVE) people living with dementia, because while a cure is the desired goal, who knows when that will happen. Let’s focus our efforts in the meantime on helping them live better, healthier and longer.”
In other words, we can choose to bow to the inevitable or take action to delay it as much as possible. As a famous coach once said: Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
When it comes to Alzheimer’s and dementia care, it’s no longer enough to talk the talk, we need to walk the walk.