Oct 3, 2019 4 min read

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Mae Shuckhart of Nemacolin fought a 16-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Early symptoms of forgetfulness led to things like repeating the same stories to friends and family and forgetting where she left her car keys. Then she would get confused while walking around town and forget where she was going while driving.

For a brief time, she lived alone in her home until her daughter, one of nine children, moved in to take care of her. Eventually her condition deteriorated to the point where her family, in 2009, decided to place her in Cloverdale Nursing Home in Masontown.

“Before she died on February 8, 2019, she was unable to speak or care for herself and was totally dependent on the nursing home staff,” said granddaughter, Melissa Shuckhart Cuppett. “My experiences with her is what led me to participate in the last five Alzheimer’s Association Walks to End Alzheimer’s and volunteer as Greene County Walk chair every year since 2014.”

This year’s walk will take place on Sept. 28 at Wana B Park in Carmichaels. Those wanting to participate can either join a team or register to walk as an individual at alz.org/walk. There is no charge to participate, although donations are greatly appreciated.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and the opening ceremony with guest speakers begins at 9:30 a.m.

“State Rep. Pam Snyder, some of the walk sponsors from the community, walk committee members and those affected by Alzheimer’s are expected to speak and share stories of their experiences with the disease,” Cuppett said.

Participants will honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with Promise Flowers during the poignant Promise Garden Ceremony, a moving display of hope to represent the personal reasons participants join together to fight Alzheimer’s.

“Everyone who walks will get a flower in one of four colors,” said Becky Solomon, manager for the Greene County Walk to End Alzheimer’s. “Those with no personal connection to the disease but who support our effort will get an orange flower. Caregivers will get a yellow one, those currently afflicted by the disease will get a blue one and those who’ve lost someone to Alzheimer’s will get a purple one.”

Participants can either opt to plant their flower in the garden located in a special section of the park or carry it during the walk.

During the event, participants will have a chance to bid on items donated by local businesses for the Chinese auction, buy tickets for a 50-50 raffle and enjoy refreshments donated by local businesses and organizations.

The walk begins at 10:30 and is about a quarter mile long. It’s non-competitive and will take place rain or shine. A closing ceremony after the walk will end the event.

“During the day, we hope to draw up to 200 walkers, and our goal is to raise $55,000, all of which goes to the Alzheimer’s Association,” Cuppett said.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia. In Pennsylvania alone, there are more than 400,000 people living with the disease and 676,000 caregivers.

The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research, and the Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s research, care and support.

Dr. Oscar Lopez, director for the of the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, said 2003 was the last time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a medication (Memantine) for treating those with Alzheimer’s.

“All the trials conducted in the intervening years have failed.,” he said “Currently, several drugs are in pipeline, and researchers are searching for compounds that can cure or at least stop Alzheimer’s from getting worse. So far there’s nothing, and the earliest results from a new A4 study won’t be in until 2022 or 2023.”

According to Lopez, funding for the A4 study comes from the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Institute on Aging and pharmaceutical companies.

“I’m optimistic, and think we’ll find something positive,” Lopez said. “In the meantime, what we need is volunteers to participate in the drug trials.”

Those interested in learning more about volunteering for the studies should phone the Alzheimer Disease Research Center at 412-692-2700.