Alzheimer’s. You may have heard of it. You may have not. I had no idea this disease even existed until my Grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I was quite young, around eight years old. My dad explained to me and my younger siblings that my grandfather was going to start having a hard time remembering things. He may forget to take his daily medicines, or eat three meals a day, or he may forget me. At such a young age, I couldn’t really comprehend how this could be possible. How could grandpa not know when to eat? Won’t his stomach growl? and how could my Grandfather forget me? How could his memory just disappear?
At first, my relationship with my grandfather was relatively the same. He was in the hospital more often than at home. As time went on, though, he did forget who I was. In his eyes, my face was unfamiliar. I was a stranger.
A few years after my grandfather had passed, my grandmother was then diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Now a few years older, and having already been through one case of Alzheimer’s, I knew what to expect. Day by day, my grandma would fade away. Her mind would deteriorate, and she would forget us. She wouldn’t remember my dance recitals or my choir performances; she wouldn’t remember our lazy summer days at Bow Mar Lake or our family trip to Hawaii.
At some points in my life, I have wished away past memories. I have tried to forget my mistakes, my heartbreaks, and my failures. And I’m sure my grandparent’s felt the same way. I’m sure they didn’t want to remember their oldest son’s suicide. These memories can haunt us. They can consume our thoughts and become emotionally draining.
Although we live through such hurt, pain, and devastation, we also live through beautiful moments. We experience love, laughter, and joy. Some of my favorite memories include my dad teaching me how to throw a football, seeing my mom and grandma in the audience of all of my choir, acting, and musical performances, and spontaneous trips to Daniel’s park with my younger siblings.
I wasn’t close to my grandma or grandfather, but it still hurt to know that all of their the beautiful memories of a life were trapped and locked away. They forgot their first kisses, their wedding, my father’s first step, my Aunt’s first child, and many more stories that I missed out on because of the disease.
After both of my grandparents had passed, I slowly forgot about the importance of supporting such a devastating disease. I was reminded once again during TCU’s sorority recruitment. My roommate and I had just gotten back to our dorms after the PanHellenic information night. We were both flipping through our packets displaying all twelve sororities on campus. As I was flipping, I passed by Sigma Kappa. I looked down at their information and saw they supported Alzheimer’s research. I made a mental note and continued flipping through the packet. Little did I know, Sigma Kappa would soon be my home.
I am so incredibly thankful to have ended up in such a great sorority supporting such an important cause to me. Despite the plummeting temperature and torrential downpour Fort Worth has experienced this past weekend, our chapter weathered the storm to support the Alzheimer’s association’s Walk to End Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer’s community was very appreciative of Sigma Kappa’s support. Not only did we come in large numbers, but also, as a team, we raised the most money, totaling over 25,000 dollars for Alzheimer’s research. I am so proud of our chapter and could not be prouder to stand by girls that support such an important cause.
