This fall, I'm playing my second season on the brunette team in the Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football game for Alzheimers. Why? Because I watched my great grandmother decline from afar. As a child, I thought that it was normal for old people to lose their memories. And that the fact that every time I saw her, she thought she hadn't seen me in years was normal. It isnt.
Because my grandmother began her decline just a few years ago, and already has forgotten who I am several times. Because we lost my grandfather about a month ago, and everywhere we went she just kept asking "Where's Bob?". And every time we had to answer her. And every.single.time. she had to process the loss of her husband.
Because my aunt, on a completely different side of my family, began her decline a few years ago as well. A month ago she thought that my dad (her brother) and my aunt (her sister) were husband and wife. And she didn't realize that she was related to either of them.
I play because I know the toll that this disease can take on a person. I can see the disappointment in my grandmother's eyes when she realizes that she has no clue what's going on. And I can see hurt when her mind is clear and she realizes how much she's forgotten. I play because I know how hard my grandfather fought cancer so that he could be there for her. Because in addition to fighting for his life, he needed to be sure that she would be ok. I play because of the hours and hours of time each week my mother and aunts put into caring for my grandmother. Because of all of the time that my uncles and aunts put into caring for their sister.
I play because I don't want my family to ever hurt if I get the disease. I want to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening, and that includes raising money for the Alzheimer's Association.
So I'm playing. And 100% of your donation will go directly to the Alzheimer's Association if you donate here: http://bit.ly/1eZJswD