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MyAlzStory: Why Alzheimer's Awareness is a No. 1 Trend Worldwide

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Forty-seven million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias around the world. To bring awareness, loved ones are taking to social media, sharing heartfelt words about those in the middle of the struggle and those who have passed on.

Using the hashtag #MyAlzStory, they're flooding Twitter and posting on other sites like Instagram. 

For example, Laurel Tolar shared an emotional photo and memory on Instagram of the father/daughter dance at her wedding, writing:

"On this day he went back and forth between knowing I was someone familiar but not recalling how and not recognizing me at all. At the beginning of our dance he was babbling nonsense (something I had grown accustomed to with his disease progression), but half way through he suddenly recognized the song. It was like a switch flipped. The rest of the dance he sang along. The words were not right, but every note was right on tune. He has no recollection of this moment, but it is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life."

 

#MyAlzStory I got married in October of 2016, and we weren't sure if my father was going to be able to make it. At the beginning of that year we made the extremely hard decision to place him in assisted living as we could no longer give him the care he needed at home. Although his mind had diminished he still had his stubborn nature and healthy physique, making him extremely difficult to control at times. A few days before the wedding we determined he was in decent enough shape to attend. For our father/daughter dance I chose "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton. It was an easy pick as it has always been one of my daddy's favorites. On this day he went back and forth between knowing I was someone familiar but not recalling how and not recognizing me at all. At the beginning of our dance he was babbling nonsense (something I had grown accustomed to with his disease progression), but half way through he suddenly recognized the song. It was like a switch flipped. The rest of the dance he sang along. The words were not right, but every note was right on tune. He has no recollection of this moment, but it is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. @lesliehollingsworthphoto #earlyonset #endalz

A post shared by Laurel Graham Tolar (@laureltolar) on

On Twitter, HandyAndyOh tweeted about mom, "A lively & caring soul whom few come to visit any more.Sad. I love you mom. Dad has stuck by her every moment. I love him, too."

Kimberly Burnett also tweeted about her mother, "My beautiful mom has always had a great sense of humor. When she laughs, for a little while, it feels like old times."

Karen Loftus tweeted about dad, "With #Alzheimers it's the never ending goodbyes. Each time I saw my Dad, I saw another bit of him slip away."

The Alzheimer's Association shared a photo of singer and actor, Joey McIntyre, with his mom. The tweet says, "Nothing can take away that kiss I had with my mother. And no one is gonna tell me she didn't recognize me." -@joeymcintyre shares an unforgettable moment from 2013 Boston Marathon.

June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month. In addition to encouraging people to share stories on social media, the Alzheimer's Association wants folks to "go purple," the official color of the Alzheimer's movement.

"The more people know about Alzheimer's, the more action we inspire," the organization's website read.

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About The Author

Mark
Martin

Mark Martin currently serves as a reporter and anchor at CBN News, reporting on all kinds of issues, from military matters to alternative fuels. Mark has reported internationally in the Middle East. He traveled to Bahrain and covered stories on the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mark also anchors CBN News Midday on the CBN Newschannel and fills in on the anchor desk for CBN News' Newswatch and The 700 Club. Prior to CBN News, Mark worked at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith, Arkansas. There he served as a weekend morning producer, before being promoted to general