George Jurch III grew up about 100 yards away from his grandparents outside of Tampa, Florida on a 10-acre orange grove. His paternal grandfather, George Jurch Sr., invested in the property in the 1940’s; an investment that not only kept the family close together but also helped fund care later in life.
It was unfortunately when George was away for the summer with his parents that his grandmother, Alice Constance Jurch, first showed signs of declining cognition. “My father was a professor at the University of South Florida and took a sabbatical for five months to visit the University of California at San Diego, where he had earned his PhD,” said George. “Ironically, it was during this time we were away that my grandmother started showing signs. When we got back it only got worse.”
A teenager at the time, George had his first exposure to Alzheimer’s as his family took his grandmother to the Watson Clinic in Lakeland, Florida which specialized in neurology and memory decline. It was there she was diagnosed in 1980. “My grandfather, George Jurch Sr., gave full-time care for six years after that until it was no longer possible for him to care for her at home,” said George. “She was in nursing care for about four years before she died.”
“I was a teenager at the time, going away to college and coming home for breaks,” said George. “It was my first introduction to the disease and I saw how tough it was on my parents and the family.”
Alzheimer’s Strikes George’s Family Again
George and his brother were on a trip with their dad, George Richard Jurch Jr., to Napa Valley about two years after he retired as a professor. “My dad was a wine connoisseur, traveling when he could to Napa Valley or Europe for wine experiences. We were lucky enough to go with him to California for this trip when they noticed things didn’t seem right,” said George. “My dad was highly intelligent, and his memory had always been ironclad. Yet we noticed he couldn’t remember some things.”
“We talked to my mother and soon after, his memory started getting a bit worse,” said George. It was now his father who was being taken to the Watson Clinic. “Their conclusion was early-stage Alzheimer’s,” said George. “For the most part, he still lived a very productive life and was fully functioning from diagnosis in 2002 to 2013. He was given an experimental drug at the time that helped prevent the breakdown of a chemical in the brain that helps carry messages to the cells. We do think this medication helped slow the progression.”
In 2013 Geroge Jr. stopped driving and died four years later in February 2017. At the end, he was struggling with all short-term memory. “We think he may have died from something else, such as cancer,” said George. “But due to the Alzheimer’s, it was not possible to treat.”
“It is hard to see your dad decline in that way,” said George. “He was so bright. That probably helped him get away with quite a bit. If you’re highly intelligent, when you lose part of that you still have a lot left.”
During that time, George’s mom, Molly Irene Jurch, was full-time caregiving for George Jr. “My dad never went into a nursing facility. We were very blessed that he was able to stay at home,” said George. “It is a lot to ask, especially in the later years. There were certain things around the house my dad had always done – taxes, financial stuff – that my mom then had to pick up. Adding those activities was sometimes not the easiest. She acquired skillsets she probably thought she would never have to acquire.”
She accepted assistance where she could: George’s sister was living locally, George and his brother helped where they could but were not living in town, and she also leveraged the Alzheimer’s Association caregiver’s helpline a few times when she needed advice. Even so, Molly was the caregiver day in and day out.
“My mom is a trooper. She is one of the kindest people in the world. She never complained about anything, she just did it,” said George. “It was only in the last couple of weeks that hospice came to the house to assist. They were married for 56 years.”
A New Chapter in Care
Earlier this month, Molly made the move from Tampa to a nursing home in Charlotte, down the street from George.
“She had been living pretty much a normal life and is now 88. During COVID she stopped driving. Not being mobile and not going out was hard on my mom. While she has a level of short-term memory loss, she can carry on a great conversation,” said George. “For years my brother and I have been trying to get her to move to a nursing facility here or near my brother. In February we held an intervention for her to move to Charlotte.”
Making the decision was just the first step of the process. George and his brother have been back and forth to Tampa to clean out their mom’s house and bring things back in rented trucks.
“My mom has done very well for herself,” said George. “We partnered with the neighbor next door to sell the orange grove which is now a Lowe’s home improvement store. Thanks in large part to my grandfather’s investment, she has the means to get the care she deserves.”
Sorting through and parting with material possessions has been emotional.
“My Dad was an unbelievable piano player. He played with the Tampa Bay Symphony as a senior in high school and was offered a scholarship to Juliard which he turned down. My grandmother loved music and held season tickets to the Tampa Bay Symphony for a long time. She bought the 1934 piano for him when he started lessons at six years old.” said George. “One of the things that was most emotional to part with was that piano.”
Now that she is in Charlotte, George is able to see his mom almost every day. “She’s probably getting tired of me,” said George.
George’s Second Walk to End Alzheimer’s—Leading with Passion
This will be George’s second Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Charlotte where he’s serving on the Executive Leadership Team. “The Walk is a well-oiled machine,” said George. “I’m bringing my experience from boards for organizations such as Make A Wish for Central / Western NC and as an in-house lawyer for 26 years to bring ideas toward boosting Walk teams and fundraising.”
A financial contributor to the Alzheimer’s Association for many years prior, George got involved on the Walk’s Charlotte leadership team when many factors aligned. First, his daughter Alayna had gotten involved in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Charlotte through Myers Park High School. Around that same time, his involvement on other non-profit boards had come to a close and his friend Stephanie Hinrichs encouraged him to attend a meeting. “When I met others and talked about my story, it was a good fit. It made sense and I wish I had gotten involved sooner,” said George.
“Alayna is passionate about the cause and put a lot of work into getting engagement from classmates and the high school itself,” said George. Alayna and George’s older daughter, Madeline, walked on George’s team last year.
George and Alayna recently participated in Advocacy Day as well. “I think with all the advancements – research findings and new drugs coming out – I’m fully convinced the cure will be here in the near future. I am hoping it will. It is great to see the government participating – any party can agree that is the right thing to do. Politics might get in the way of a lot but for this, I don’t see that as a big hurdle. Groups like the Alzheimer’s Association are providing the right support and research.”
A Champion for Alzheimer’s Education and a Cure
George highlights the Alzheimer’s Association’s vital role in educating and supporting the millions of individuals currently facing Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. “Companies can make this part of wellness programs—it’s unfortunately likely their employees are impacted,” said George.
That said, he is also optimistic that we are on the right path to the first survivor of Alzheimer’s.
“I am highly encouraged – every time we see a new report or study – by all the concerted effort going into finding a cure for Alzheimer’s,” said George. “If we can get a COVID vaccine in less than a year we should be able to cure Alzheimer’s.”
George encourages anyone interested to get involved in a way that works for them, “Financially, volunteering, making themselves available with their skills and talents to further the cause,” said George. “Everything that is being done currently is on the right path to what we need to find a cure. If people continue to participate in all different ways, I’m highly positive that we will find a cure in the near future. I don’t believe it will be 25 years.”
“I’m not a scientist but I feel that with the momentum and everything coming out – we’re pointing in the right direction. It’s positive toward finding a cure,” continued George. “This is an issue that’s worldwide, scientists all over the world are working on. If we can continue to have cooperation, with scientists working together, someone somewhere – I’m hopeful they will find a cure. Even looking back at the experimental drug my dad took, I am positive it slowed the decline for my dad.”
LIKE GEORGE, 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 |
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Join us in our fight for a future without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.
AUTHOR:
Sarah Osment
Sarah is a strategic communications professional with more than a decade of experience in media relations, content creation and social media. She’s served on the marketing committee for Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Triangle since 2018.
Alzheimer's Association North Carolina Blog 
wow!! 15Do what you can, while you can, because you can
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