Longtime Alzheimer’s San Diego supporter and Walk4ALZ team leader Greg Gould recently published a book called Random Acts of Weirdness: A Real-Life Journey Inside an Alzheimer’s Mind. This unique book dives into the experiences of Greg and his wife Deborah “Debi” Gould as they navigated her dementia symptoms for more than a decade. Along the way Debi and Greg made friends, were welcomed into the dementia community, and advocated for dignity and respect for people impacted by memory loss.
Debi & Greg’s Dementia Journey
It all started in 2014 when Debi was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment. “Once Debi learned about her diagnosis, she started a journal where she kept track of everything that was happening every day. That way after she forgot it the next day she could see what she did,” says Greg. Over the course of 9 years, Debi wrote down everything she was experiencing as her symptoms progressed in a journal. “Debi was brutally honest and she didn’t hold anything back. She put her deepest darkest thoughts and everything in there,” says Greg, “the good stuff, the bad stuff, the sad stuff, and the funny stuff.” Besides writing down her thoughts in journals, Debi also started a Facebook page in 2017 called “Life With Alzheimer’s” where she shared her experiences living with memory loss. From the beginning, Debi wanted to let people know what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s disease and help fight the stigma many people living with dementia experience.
Throughout the book, Debi and Greg share their experiences receiving guidance at Alzheimer’s San Diego. “When we got the diagnosis, we didn’t know anything about the disease,” says Greg. “We came to [Alzheimer’s San Diego] and that was very very helpful. We found out we were not alone and there were other people going through this.” Greg and Debi not only gained support from the Dementia Care Coaches, they also made friends with other couples going through similar experiences, and were warmly welcomed into the dementia community.
After Debi passed away in 2025, Greg decided that he wanted to create a book in Debi’s honor so that other people could continue to learn from her experiences. “I thought well Debi’s thing was ‘I wanna teach’ so I thought ok well lets just get it out there,” says Greg. He transcribed her journal entries and combined it with her posts on the Facebook page and then added his own commentary from the present day to put things into perspective. “The unique part about the book is it was all written in real time,” says Greg, “and she wrote a lot of personal things she was thinking with the disease.” The result is a book that brilliantly captures the emotional and mental complexities of dementia from both the person living with the disease and the caregiver’s perspectives.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Debi and Greg’s book, visit the website through the button below. Greg is generously donating all proceeds to Alzheimer’s San Diego to support other people impacted by dementia.
Disclaimer: This is a raw and unfiltered first-hand account of a person’s experience living with dementia. Some topics may be uncomfortable.
Supporting Their Community Through Walk4ALZ
Debi and Greg have been participating in Walk4ALZ since Alzheimer’s San Diego became a local independent nonprofit in 2016. “Over the last 10 years our team Dignity for ALZ has raised over $100,000 dollars. It was my daughter who came up with the name because Debi felt like people living with dementia were not being treated with any dignity, that they were looked down on and judged. So that was her whole thing – dignity,” says Greg, “so we called the team Dignity for ALZ.” Over the years their walk team has not only helped support the programs and services that Greg and Debi relied on, it also helped provide free support for so many more people impacted by memory loss in San Diego.
Six years ago, Debi spoke at Walk4ALZ to share her journey living with dementia and advocate for others living with the disease. “She was the first and only person with Alzheimer’s disease that spoke,” says Greg, “It was pretty remarkable.” You can watch her incredible speech here. Today, Greg and his family continue to participate in Walk4ALZ in Debi’s honor and to support people currently impacted by dementia in San Diego County. “I have a lot of fun! It’s a fun day for a great cause. Everybody is happy and smiling and just glad to be there,” says Greg, “It’s a great walk through Balboa Park.” Greg will be at Balboa Park on Saturday, October 17th and he encourages you to join as well. Registration is free to all, and the Walk begins at 8 AM!
