Alzheimer’s & Dementia

Don’t Just Get Behind The Cause,

Get Ahead Of It! 

Here is a letter  received from Michael Ellenbogen, who has Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

Dear Alzheimer Advocates,

As someone who has been struggling with younger-onset Alzheimer’s since I was 39 and constantly dreams of a day when no one has to live with this disease, I recently signed the LEAD Coalition “Stop Alzheimer’s Petition.” I believe this simple act is a small, yet meaningful step to finding a disease altering treatment and even the possibility of a cure.  It’s the simplicity of the message and the unified effort among organizations and activists in the Alzheimer’s community that give me hope.  I am asking that your organization join together in common cause in support of this petition.

My book From the Corner Office of Alzheimer’s begins with a simple challenge “Never give up with your dreams, and drive forward until the end.  You can still make a difference.  Try to advocate for the ones who cannot, because we will be them one day.” If we succeed in mobilizing even a fraction of the millions of patients and family caregivers in this effort we will force decision makers to finally confront this cruel disease and its impact on society at large with the urgency we know it requires.

If  you haven’t seen the petition please take a close look and consider signing it and more importantly sharing it with the activists, caregivers and people just like me on the front lines of Alzheimer’s disease who your organization supports. My personal belief in the potential of this petition is the source of my inspiration to invite you to join this effort.   Its effectiveness is found in its simplicity and affirmative nature:

I am committed to stopping Alzheimer’s disease. I call on the President and Congress to dedicate all resources necessary to fulfill the commitment of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease:

• Prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025
• Strengthen the quality of care and expand support for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families
• Enhance public awareness and engagement about the devastating consequences of this disease
  

I stand with the five million of my fellow Americans who are living with Alzheimer’s disease and their 15 million family caregivers. We are united in the belief that ending this ravaging disease must be a national priority. Stopping Alzheimer’s disease is scientifically possible, economically necessary, and morally imperative. Today, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death and the only illness among the top ten for which there is no known effective prevention, treatment, or cure. Unless this changes, our nation will be overwhelmed by as many as 16 million Americans facing Alzheimer’s by 2050 at an annual cost of over $1 trillion. The President and Congress must act immediately and decisively to accelerate our investment to stop Alzheimer’s disease. 

I have enormous respect for the men and women who spend their professional lives leading organizations dedicated to better care and to the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s. In a time when someone in the world develops dementia every four seconds, we must combine our efforts as a “community,” and a unified and collaborative movement.  We must resist slipping into silos.  Nearly 36 million people worldwide are living with dementia, but from where I sit, there are not enough opportunities to amplify our voices in a way to capture the attention of the medical establishment, elected officials or the public at large.   This Stop Alzheimer’s Petition is one of those opportunities.

Already tens of thousands of individuals have stood up and said, Stop Alzheimer’s Now. When a million people make a collective statement that they stand for a cause as part of a movement, it matters.

Please join me in making this community wide mobilization effort a success.

You can reach Michael or Ian as follows:

Michael Ellenbogen

 Http://www.michaelellenbogenmovement.com

You can reach Ian Kremer at LEAD – Leader Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease

http://www.leadcoalition.org/

To email Ian go to this page on the website.  http://www.leadcoalition.org/contact/