To the editor:
This year, one in three seniors will die with Alzheimer’s disease. It is the costliest disease and the only leading cause of death in the U.S. that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. It is imperative that we have elected officials who are working to make Alzheimer’s a national priority.
As an Alzheimer’s Association advocate, I took part in the annual Advocacy Forum in DC where I joined more than 1,200 others from across the country to discuss the staggering impact Alzheimer’s has on our state and the nation.
I met with John Huston, Legislative Director for Congressman Luke Messer, where my fellow advocates and I shared our personal experience with this devastating disease and asked for his support on two policies: the BOLD (Building Our Largest Dementia) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act and PCHETA (Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act), as well as additional Alzheimer’s research funding at the National Institutes of Health.
We implored Congressman Messer to be a champion in Congress for the 110,000 Hoosiers living with Alzheimer’s.
It has been almost five years since my husband died at age 65 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for 15 years. He did not die of a heart attack, stroke or cancer. He had no other health issues other than Alzheimer’s. He was a physics teacher who wanted to contribute to find a cure, so his brain was donated for research. We need everyone‘s help. Here’s what you can do.
Please join me in asking Congressman Luke Messer for his continued support in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.
Diane Dijak
Greenfield
