With a cheerful demeanor from her kitchen in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Brenda Sutton is busy preparing large quantities of homemade food over the next two weeks. While it may seem like a heavy lift to some, for Brenda, her enthusiasm is palpable as she works on this tasty fundraiser for her Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team, Lou Bell’s Legacy. With 17 pints of chicken salad, 4 varieties of mini bread loaves, and 22 pans of her family’s favorite brownies, Brenda already has orders from her church and family before opening orders to her social media friends on Facebook. As a previous Elite Grand Champion for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Brenda has centered her fundraising efforts around food because it is one of her favorite memories of her mother, Louise. She recalls how her momma inspired her love of cooking and vividly remembers how she would serve her community through food. Despite growing up poor, Brenda describes how her mother would give from her heart and the work of her hands saying to anyone in need, “I don’t have any money, but I can feed you.”
Louise was born and raised in Hoke County. She is the eldest of nine children, with four sisters and four brothers. It was her heart’s desire to become a wife and a mother, a dream that was fulfilled when she married her sweetheart, Henry Edwards in 1955. Henry and Louise grew up together, but when he returned home from serving in the army, Brenda describes her mother was smitten with the man in uniform. The couple shared 52 years together, welcoming five children into the world. Brenda continues her mother’s legacy as the eldest daughter of the family. Brenda describes how she and her four younger siblings – two brothers and two sisters – would go out on the farm with their mom to gather the tobacco, cotton, and the harvest produced from the garden. No matter what, Brenda says there was always food on the table and her momma taught her the importance of serving others.
Brenda began her first job with the state of North Carolina in 1985. In a showing of her support, Louise would send fresh vegetables and homemade treats with her daughter to give to her coworkers. While she enjoyed her work, the frequent traveling often took Brenda away from her husband and children during the week. But she vividly describes how she never had to worry about the home front while she was away, because her momma always ensured food was on the table for her grandchildren and son-in-law. With emotion in her voice, Brenda says “She always came through – no matter what – for her family.” Louise’s servant heart was given a new area of opportunity when she began working as a nurse aid at St. Joseph of the Pines in Pinehurst. Brenda shares how this was very fulfilling for her mom. For many years, she cared for others in this capacity and enjoyed sharing her faith and joyful spirit with everyone she met.
In 2007, Louise’s husband Henry passed away. Over the next eight years, she lived independently and continued to be active in her church and community. However, in 2015, Brenda said the family started noticing some changes in their mother that caused concern outside of the normal signs of aging. She would forget to take her medicine, would tell elaborate stories that the family knew not to be true, and Brenda describes how Louise would become greatly distressed when she couldn’t find her pocketbook. Soon, she began having moments where she would gaze off for a period of time without any reason, then return to the faces of her loved ones, especially granddaughter Lisa, saying, “I went away again, didn’t I?” Brenda’s nephew, Keith, began to stay with Louise at night in an effort to help watch over her. The catalyst of seeking help came in 2016 when Brenda was driving to visit her mom after church one Sunday. Louise’s car with her mom in the passenger seat about to exit the parking lot. Brenda found out upon conversing with the driver that Louise had become very confused upon arriving at the restaurant and the staff at KFC had shared with her where Louise lived in an effort to get her home safely. Brenda thanked the good Samaritan and quickly shared with her siblings that they needed to do something.
Shortly after this incident, Louise was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease by her geriatrician. Devastated, Brenda and her siblings went into action mode. They had a family meeting and developed a plan that is still in place to this day. Each sibling has a responsibility in caring for their mother, whether it be staying with her, assisting with her doctor’s appointments and medicines, to ordering her groceries and managing finances. It was of their utmost desire to keep their mom at home and surrounded by her loved ones. They also decided to be transparent with their mom’s home church and community about the diagnosis. Brenda describes how much it meant to them as a family to receive so much support from them upon learning the news, “All of the seeds she had sown through her acts of service throughout her life came back to her. in her and our time of need.” Though Louise is now bedridden and has great difficulty communicating, Brenda shares that her mom continues to smile and holds fast to her faith and family.
Brenda learned about the Alzheimer’s Association by attending a workshop for Alzheimer’s caregivers at the Harnett County Department of Aging. And in 2021, good friend and sister in the ministry, Apostle Debra Brown, asked her to join their Rock of Salvation Church Walk Team for Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Fayetteville. Enthusiastically, Brenda registered and invited some of her family members to come with her. It was while attending the event, she learned about the Alzheimer’s Association Helpline, which provides 24/7 care and support with master’s level specialists ready to listen and assist those who call. Brenda says it is “a lifesaver” to know that there is someone on the other end of the line that can help guide you through whatever question you may have as a family member, caregiver, or a person living with the disease. Inspired, Brenda started her own Walk Team the next year. When conversing with the family on what to name the team, they agreed it to be only fitting to give a nod to the nickname Louise’s grandchildren have given her, Lou Bell, and the importance they felt in having her legacy of service live on. Brenda says, “I don’t like to be last in nothing, so I became very competitive in my fundraising.” That competitive spirit spearheaded her team raising over $15,000 for the cause in 2022. And as the 2023 Fayetteville Walk date of October 28 nears, Lou Bell’s Legacy has already raised more than $5,600.
“We’re in the era of treatment and that’s because somebody fundraised for the Alzheimer’s Association before me. Those funds helped research happen, and now we have treatment options.”
brenda sutton
Brenda firmly believes in the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association and wears her Elite Grand Champion attire proudly throughout the year, which often leads to conversations with strangers who also have loved ones living with the disease. She considers it to be a blessing to share with them about her mom’s journey and the resources available through the Alzheimer’s Association. In closing, Brenda passionately expresses, “We’ve got to keep working. That White Flower – the Walk’s symbol of the first survivor of Alzheimer’s disease – is our hope. It might not happen for my momma, but I believe it can help others in the future if we work together.”
LIKE BRENDA, WE ALL HAVE A REASON TO FIGHT FOR A WORLD WITHOUT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. Join your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s today as an individual, team, or sponsor.
The Alzheimer’s Association hosts 17 walks across North Carolina. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association® mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk®; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s.
| Alamance County | 9/30/2023 |
| Asheville | 10/14/2023 |
| Charlotte | 10/21/2023 |
| Fayetteville | 10/28/2023 |
| Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln | 10/14/2023 |
| Guilford County | 10/7/2023 |
| Henderson County | 9/30/2023 |
| Iredell County | 9/23/2023 |
| Jacksonville | 10/14/2023 |
| Moore County | 9/30/2023 |
| Mount Airy | 9/9/2023 |
| New Bern | 10/21/2023 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus | 10/28/2023 |
| Unifour (formerly Hickory) | 10/28/2023 |
| Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) | 10/7/2023 |
| Wilmington | 11/4/2023 |
| Winston-Salem | 11/4/2023 |
Alzheimer's Association North Carolina Blog 