You feel a sense of peace when you speak with Vikki Silverman. Her soothing voice, optimism, and smile do not reveal the significant challenges she’s faced, which could easily wear someone down. Instead, Vikki looks forward, committed to creating a world where Alzheimer’s and other dementias no longer impact her family. She and her family are participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Asheville on Oct. 5, not just raising funds but also connecting local businesses to the cause.
Vikki’s involvement with the Alzheimer’s Association is deeply personal. Alzheimer’s has affected her for most of her life. Both of her grandmothers and her husband’s mother had the disease, her husband lived with Alzheimer’s for 15 years, and she’s now caring for her mother who has it.
In 2023, Vikki moved to Asheville to be close to her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law. Before that, she spent her life and raised her family near Tampa, Florida. Her husband Bruce, operated a successful air conditioning company, and Vikki served as a cantor for a synagogue. When Bruce began misplacing things regularly and becoming more forgetful, Vikki knew something wasn’t right. In 2006, a doctor confirmed Bruce had mild cognitive impairment, which soon progressed to Alzheimer’s disease.
Having seen her grandmothers and mother-in-law live with Alzheimer’s, Vikki was aware of the challenges ahead. What was shocking, however, was how young Bruce was when diagnosed compared to other family members. “Bruce was only 60 years old when he was first diagnosed,” Vikki said. “Looking back, I can now see the signs were there long before he was diagnosed, but he was such a brilliant man and was able to easily compensate for some of his cognitive loss. It wasn’t until he progressed further that we knew something was wrong.”
Vikki jumped in with both feet, taking classes and seeking tools and resources to care for Bruce at home. “I found that just as I developed a rhythm of living and how to meet his needs, he would progress further and everything would change again. I’d have to learn a new way to adapt to his needs,” Vikki remembers. “Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s can feel like a constantly moving target.”
In 2017, that moving target almost caused whiplash. In addition to caring for her husband, Vikki’s mother, Golda, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Three months later, Vikki was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had recently arranged in-home care for her husband and her youngest brother took their mother to live in Michigan with his family. “Asking for help was very hard for me,” Vikki said. “But doing so helped me finally take care of my health. Unfortunately, I had waited four years to have a mammogram. Now I was going to have to fight cancer.”
And fight she did. Vikki is now in remission.
Bruce passed away in 2021 from Alzheimer’s, and Vikki moved to Asheville two years later to join her adult children and grandchildren. She then moved her mother to Asheville to care for her at home. Golda is currently in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s.
Looking to the future
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, research shows that those who have a parent or sibling living with Alzheimer’s are more likely to develop the disease than those who do not have a first-degree relative with Alzheimer’s. Those who have more than one first-degree relative with Alzheimer’s are at an even higher risk. Vikki understands the strong genetic connection well and got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association in 2020 when she took part in the then virtual Walk due to COVID-19 and raised funds for the organization.
“The Alzheimer’s Association’s resources and support tools are such an important service to those living with and caring for someone with dementia,” Vikki said. “Arming yourself with knowledge and connecting with others through support groups and the toll-free helpline [800.272.3900] is critical in this journey. The organization is doing far more than just raising funds for research that leads to more treatment options and one day a cure; it is providing hope and support to those impacted by dementia now.”
The following year, she joined her local Walk planning committee and continued to participate in Walk to End Alzheimer’s through her Walk Team: Love and Hope. When she moved to Asheville, she quickly got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association and serves on the community engagement committee for the Asheville Walk, helping local businesses connect with the Alzheimer’s Association.
Her personal Walk team, which includes family and friends, actively raises money through Facebook. “Facebook offers an opportunity to get in front of many of our connections at once. Many know my journey and passion for supporting the Alzheimer’s Association and happily donate to support my Walk Team’s goal,” Vikki said. Those efforts are clearly working well as the team is already well on her way to their $5,000 goal.
“If there’s any guidance I can offer anyone impacted by dementia based on my experience, it’s to find ways to laugh, dig deep for patience, live in the world of the person affected by dementia, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. To take care of someone else, you must first take care of yourself. Put your oxygen mask on first. I learned that the hard way.”
LIKE VIKKI, 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 | 9/28/2024 |
| Asheville | 10/5/2024 |
| Charlotte | 10/19/2024 |
| Fayetteville | 10/26/2024 |
| Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln | 10/5/2024 |
| Guilford County | 10/5/2024 |
| Henderson County | 9/21/2024 |
| Iredell Co. & Lake Norman | 9/21/2024 |
| Jacksonville | 9/28/2024 |
| Moore County | 9/14/2024 |
| Mount Airy | 9/14/2024 |
| New Bern | 10/19/2024 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus | 9/21/2024 |
| Unifour | 10/26/2024 |
| Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) | 10/5/2024 |
| Wilmington | 11/2/2024 |
| Winston-Salem | 11/2/2024 |
Alzheimer's Association North Carolina Blog 