Join ‘Walk to End Alzheimer’s’ on Nov. 20

Families and friends are preparing for the 2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The intent is to raise funds and awareness for a breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an overall term that describes a group of symptoms.

Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women, and more than 11 million Americans provide unpaid care of Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

The annual Walk, held in more than 600 communities nationwide, is committed to ending the disease. Individuals of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate by donating money and walking to support Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Open to the public, there is no registration fee, but donations are encouraged.

In Miami-Dade, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Saturday, Nov. 20, 8 a.m. at Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th St., Miami. To register visit: 2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s — Miami, presented by Wellmax and Pasteur.

Walk attendees are asked to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or wear a mask when in an overcrowded area. Masks will be available on-site.

David Lawrence’s plea

Plans for the Walk begin months in advance.

In May, David Lawrence reached out to friends and colleagues on the second anniversary of his wife Roberta’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Lawrence, a retired publisher of the Miami Herald and a founder and the chair of The Children’s Movement of Florida, wrote in a heartfelt plea,” Bobbie and I have been married for 57 years, and I love her even more than when we were married in 1963. We are blessed with five children and their families (seven grandchildren). Our youngest child, Dana, is my Alzheimer’s teammate again this year.”

Humbly, Lawrence reached out not for his family, but for others. His plea continued, “You can give any amount which goes to research to find a cure for other families in the future. I would be grateful.”

Donations raised also support services for people living with this disease and their caregivers.

One family’s experience with Alzheimer’s

Anthony Jennings and his family know from experience the importance of caregivers as Alzheimer’s evolves.

Both his parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia within one year of each other. Early in 2008, his mother, Wilhelmenia Franks Jennings, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia. His father, Rashford C. Jennings, was diagnosed a year later with Alzheimer’s in 2009 followed by the dementia diagnosis in 2010. Anthony Jennings was then a full-time senior high school teacher.

Jennings recalled:”My wife and I lived in my parents’ home as their primary caretakers. They had memory loss at different stages. Father would frequently open the door and leave the house alone. Mother passed away after entering the stage of confusion not remembering familiar facts including the name of her deceased son, Barrington.” Six years later, Jennings’ father reached the final stage and lost physical control before passing away.

Jennings encourages caretakers to make a plan, develop a support team and seek available resources.

Jennings has also expressed interest in writing a book about the family’s pioneer history in Miami, the Bahamas and Jamaica; and their struggle with Alzheimer’s. His sister, Patricia Jennings Braynon, and her husband, Oscar, Sr., both retired county administrators, are African American genealogy enthusiasts, with family research and insight to contribute. She chairs the board of directors at The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater.

UM’s John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics

In the past, local resources for families affected by Alzheimer’s were very limited. Now help is available at the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics (HIHG), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

For those age 65 or older who have Alzheimer’s or are undiagnosed, evaluations are conducted by phone and video conference in English, French and Haitian Creole. Anyone can schedule an appointment for a memory evaluation by calling 1 (877) 582-8788 or email questions to AD-HIHG@miami.edu.

Visit the website: John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics (HIHG) Miller School of Medicine, and visit the table at the 2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Ph.D., public historian, certified archivist and the founder of The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater in Miami’s Overtown, is a consultant to the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. ) Send feedback to djf@bellsouth.net.