June is a very important month for me for many reasons, the most important being that it is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Ironically (though I find it fitting), June is also the month of my grandmother's birthday, Beachmom, who had her life taken by Alzheimer's. More than likely, you know of someone who suffers from this nasty disease or you have at least heard of it. Although there are many types of Alzheimer's and variations, it is defined as a progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. Basically, Alzheimer's makes you forget, it makes you revert back to the past, it confuses you, it kills you before you are ever ready to pass.

Growing up, my Beachmom had so much faith in me, in all of her grandchildren. I ride horses and she used to tell me that one day, I would show in Madison Square Gardens (a really big show). She loved to read and I inherited that love from her. She gave me one of my favorite books, "To Kill a Mockingbird." The one thing that I loved the most about my Beachmom is how much she cared about me. One year for Christmas, I remember her giving me a doll that I had wanted for the longest time for making good grades in school. She always encouraged us to succeed.

I have so many great memories before I started seeing the stages of my Beachmom's Alzheimer's, even before she was diagnosed with having Lewy Bodies, a type of progressive neurodegenerative dementia closely associated with Parkinson's disease, primarily affecting older adults. The Lewy Bodies came from reoccurring strokes in her brain. However, before she was diagnosed, she would have somewhat delusional thoughts. There were days when she forgot who we were, where she was, and when she just wanted to go home, but she was already sitting in her kitchen. She would call phone numbers from her past, only to receive answers from people she didn't know and this would upset her.

Another occurrence where dementia and Alzheimer's was present in my life was with my Grandpa. My grandpa was the sweetest old man you'd ever know. He always knew how to make me smile and his laugh was contagious. I will always cherish the moments I had with him, even if he was stubborn at times, just because he was always full of life and spirit. Two of his favorite things were shuffle boarding and playing cards, which I always loved to do with him. He and my grandma would always teach me new games and grandpa always won unless he let me win a couple of times.

Although my grandpa didn't suffer from Alzheimer's as long as my Beachmom did, he still had troubles in his life. The start of his downfall was him taking a drive one afternoon and getting lost. I still remember the call that my dad got, saying that my grandpa was nowhere to be found; he was ready to leave to go to Illinois that night to help find him.

He was found, but this is when stages of dementia were discovered in my grandpa. He would forget names, forget to take care of his hygiene and he went downhill fast. Dementia helped take his life.

I learned how to cope with this disease somewhat, but honestly, it terrifies me.

The thing about Alzheimer's and dementia is that they take your life before you are even close to being ready to go live with The Lord. The nasty disease strips you of your memory, of your family, your home, your lifestyle. It makes you forget everything you once knew and it frustrates you to the point where you can even become mean. It not only hurts the person with the disease, but it hurts everyone around them and there is absolutely nothing you can do.

Throughout the month of June, we were told to light up the world purple. We need to spread the things that this nasty disease does and we need to share it with the world so that eventually we can find a cure. I pray that no one has to see their loved one forget who they are because it is one of the saddest things in the world. More importantly, I never want a person to forget the things that mattered most to them because a disease took it away; it just isn't fair.