09/22/2026
Here is our annual why Alzheimer's disease and related dementia are the worst and finding a cure would be awesome.
This is the Sue we remember. This also the Sue that Alzheimer's disease took away from us slowly.
At first it was quirky. She was always a little forgetful. Then it turned into leaving little piles of tomato skins on couch arms. Then it got a little dangerous, like trying to cook rice in the rice cooker by putting the rice directly in without the pot. She wanted to go to Vegas one more time. She was fine. Everyone else was freaked out because they couldn't find her for a while.
Mixed in with the sadness of missing her, there's also bitterness and anger. She worked hard her entire life and she didn't get a good chance to kick back and enjoy everything she built. By the time she started to retire, the forgetting already began.
Alzheimer's disease doesn't just affect the individual. It leaves its mark on entire families. We turned into caregivers and ad hoc support groups. You'd hear about someone else with a family member that has it and then bump into them. You used to have to share notes and tips in the bread aisle. Now there's Alzheimer's Association - Hawaii that helps support caregivers and those affected.
In Sue's case, her two brothers also had Alzheimer's disease, making this a family inheritance no one wanted. That knowledge definitely shapes your life in a few ways.
We're aware that we may not personally benefit from a cure, but we're holding out for a future where what Sue and our family went through is not a possibility anymore.
What can we do today to build towards that future? A good place to start would be to follow Alzheimer's Association - Hawaii - on their website you can learn about the disease, find support as someone that has Alzheimer's or as a caregiver, read where research is right now, and how to get more involved.
We're currently collecting change at the registers, and our more in shape friends are doing squats to fundraise to support the work that Alzheimer's Association - Hawaii does.
Other than that, if you have a story just like ours about Sue, know that you're not alone.
