As one of the thousands of Alzheimer’s advocates who went to Washington, D.C. and Sacramento this last spring, I am thrilled to say our efforts paid off. On July 14, 2016, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved an additional $350 million for Alzheimer’s research. We applaud this bipartisan action of the House Appropriations Committee to approve a significant increase in Alzheimer’s research funding at the National Institutes of Health. For years, federal Alzheimer’s disease research has lagged far behind the $2 billion a year necessary for research in prevention and finding effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. The people facing and fighting this disease now have new hope.
I have a very personal connection with Alzheimer’s disease, since my dad was formally diagnosed almost three years ago. My mother and I spent probably eight years trying to navigate through sickness, treatments, testing, and programs — all to realize it was to no avail. There was no direction or treatment available for what we always were led to believe was something else. My dad's diagnosis didn't come until eight years later and that far down the road. It was mentally and physically taxing and draining for my mother and heartbreaking for me to watch them go through it all. Once my father had a diagnosis, it was almost a relief.
I know I can’t help my father now, but I can make a difference for our generation and those to come by being an advocate and speaking out for the necessary funding dollars needed to fight this disease. I never thought I could make a difference, but I was wrong. Every member of our Congress has a voice and a vote. It is very important to have these discussions with them and with those efforts, comes reward. We are moving closer to a cure.