The Men’s Support & Discussion Group at Alzheimer’s San Diego, led by the incredible Larry Hamon, has created their own Walk4ALZ team called The Men Remember. Keep reading to find out why they are so passionate about Walk4ALZ, in their own words.

By Larry Hamon

We are the men who attend the Men’s Support Group at the headquarters of Alzheimer’s San Diego. Daily, we care for a loved one – a spouse, a parent or a friend who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

We are men who remember.

We remember each and every day the terrible price that Alzheimer’s disease extracts from our loved ones.

We remember the day they received the terrible diagnosis: “You have Alzheimer’s disease.”

We remember days, weeks, months and years of watching them being taken from us, bit by bit, until all that remains is a remnant of the person we continue to cherish so very much.

We remember the loneliness and isolation we experienced as our loved one lost the ability to laugh, the ability to speak and the ability understand.

We remember feeling so helpless as we watched their lovely, laughing eyes turn dull and vacant.

We remember faithfully and ceaselessly caring for our loved ones 24/7 throughout their ordeal.

We remember the frustration, the helplessness and the rage at being unable to stop the progression of the disease.

We remember crying silent tears in the night.

We remember endless searching. Looking for knowledge about the disease. Looking for effective methods to help care for someone who no longer lived in our reality. Looking for support and understanding. Looking for help. Looking for hope.

We remember finding Alzheimer’s San Diego and the wonderful, kind, compassionate staff who work there. We remember their loving acceptance and embrace while they gave us information, gave us support, gave us respite. We remember the relief we felt knowing that someone understood how to help. We remember that they gave us hope that we could survive.

We remember that Alzheimer’s San Diego does not charge for their services. We remember that they receive no government funds and that they are entirely supported by the generosity of our local community and by our thoughtful friends who want to see this awful disease end.

Because we remember, this October our team will Walk4ALZ to help provide thousands of San Diego families with care and support today and to advance local research so that ultimately a cure can be found. Please consider sponsoring our team and help us make a local difference.

We remember that 100% of the dollars we raise will stay in San Diego to help our community.

We remember that, big or small, every donation makes a difference. Please give as generously as you can and thank you for your support.

Click here to learn more about the 35+ Support & Discussion Groups we offer throughout the county.