Dear Alzheimer's disease,

I hate you. I've always been taught not to hate things because it is so powerful, but you are the lone thing I truly despise. You're ugly, relentless and my biggest fear. You're welcomed by no one and 44 million people have been affected by you worldwide. You've damaged over 5.4 million American families. You are no friend of mine or anyone for that matter.

There is no cure for you. Once you choose a victim, you hold nothing back and you take every last piece of them. Sometimes you have a little mercy and your destruction is slow, and other times you attack viciously. The thing that makes you the worst is that you take not only someone's memory but everything about them. As their memory goes, so does their mental health, physical health and everything that makes them who they are. You turn them into people no one recognizes. Even they have trouble recognizing themselves.

You ruin families. You cause so much pain, that it never truly goes away, even if a family member dies. Once someone has a loved one affected by you, their life is never the same. The pain you inflict on the families of the victims is so monstrous, nothing compares. Their loved one was not only stripped away by death but in such a gruesome manner. They watched their loved one forget simple tasks, to family member names and faces. But worst of all, it gets to the point where they forget how to function or even talk. The family sees the person they adore, but it's not really them. It's a stranger.

You stripped me of the best person in my life. You took my most influential person and you destroyed every last piece. You have clouded my memory with the five years she was sick, and sometimes it's difficult to remember life before you. You stole my best friend. You stole the rock of my family. You forced me to watch the most painful and disgusting thing I've ever witnessed. I watched my grandmother fade day by day from this world. You took the kindest, gentlest, most caring and giving person in this world and wiped away every single thing about her. And for what reason? You stole an extremely bright light from this world. For this, I will never forgive you.

Here's the thing, though— the one thing that keeps me hopeful. One day, I envision a world without you in it. I know there will be a cure for you one day, whether it is within my lifetime or not. The pain you've inflicted in my life is something I may never truly get over and I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I fear you. I am terrified you will attack me and even worse, others in my family. But I remain hopeful. One day you will be gone and no one will be affected by you and all of your terrible qualities. One day you will be conquered. For this, I pray every day.

After all I've experienced with you, I can thank you for teaching me not to take anyone in my life for granted. Thank you for showing me that I can survive even the most difficult experiences. Thank you for showing me the importance of love, because even as my Nana got farther and farther away from me, I always knew her love was right there with me. I will always carry a piece of her in me.

For more on Alzheimer's facts or if you'd like to donate money please visit www.alz.org