When Janet Long’s mother, Elaine, began showing signs of memory loss, it was easy to chalk it up to aging. Janet’s father was battling cancer so they were preoccupied with his care. Following his passing, they noticed that Elaine’s occasional lapses were turning into more frequent confusion, and she was getting lost on familiar routes. The family grew concerned that something more serious was happening.
“In the fall of 2016, her healthcare providers began running tests to assess her cognitive function,” Janet recalls. “By January 2017, we received a diagnosis: early-stage dementia. She was 73 years old.”
A lifelong gardener, Elaine liked to work in her yard, and for another couple of years, she was able to continue to do so. “We kept an eye on her and I visited her frequently, sometimes twice a day. We wanted her to maintain her independence as long as possible.”
During this time, Janet and her husband, Steven, a third-generation owner of GSM Services in Gaston County, were raising three children and managing the day-to-day challenges. “We were in the weeds,” Janet says. “It was a lot, but our family rallied together.”
They navigated this way for a couple of years until one day in 2019 the fire department showed up at Elaine’s house. “She had left a pot on the stove, and it caught fire,” Janet recalls. “She didn’t even tell us—it was only when we visited and smelled the smoke that we found out.”
Janet and Steven were able to convince Elaine to move into their home for the short term, shortly thereafter due to a foot surgery. Janet was managing her medications, wandering episodes, and late-night confusion. “She once turned on the gas stove in the middle of the night and went back to bed,” Janet says. “That’s when we knew she needed more care than we could provide. We were able to move her into an assisted living community. Janet visited frequently, often around mealtimes to make sure she would eat. Following a fall in March 2024, Elaine required skilled nursing care.
Through it all, Janet and Steven transformed their personal experience into helping others navigating dementia. In 2019, GSM Services participated in their first Walk to End Alzheimer’s event and has been supporting the Alzheimer’s Association and its mission since.
Their involvement deepened over time. Steven joined the executive leadership committee for the Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln Walk and served as chair last year. This year, Janet joined him as co-chair. “Our commitment has grown as her health has declined,” Steven says. “And we’ve learned how many others are in the same boat.”
“You can feel so alone when you’re in the weeds of caregiving,” Janet adds. “But once you start talking about it, you realize how many people have been through it too.”
A highlight of every Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the Promise Garden Ceremony, held during the Opening Ceremony. Participants choose a pinwheel flower representing their connection to the disease:
- Purple – lost someone to Alzheimer’s
- Blue – living with the disease
- Yellow – caring for someone with Alzheimer’s
- Orange – supporting the mission to end Alzheimer’s
In 2023, the Long family stood on stage as the yellow flower representatives – symbolizing their role as caregivers. It was a powerful moment of solidarity.
Elaine has never attended the walk – her condition now prevents her from leaving her care home – but her presence is felt in every step they take.
Janet and Steven’s children have witnessed their grandmother’s decline firsthand. “They know she won’t recognize them,” Janet says. “But they still go, still talk to her, even without expecting a response.” Steven adds, “Janet has set a powerful example of love for them. We’ve always said, ‘Family takes care of family’ and our kids have seen that firsthand over the years.”
GSM Services’ involvement has sparked conversations among employees, many of whom have personal connections to the disease. “The ones who show up on walk day all have a story,” Steven says. “Whether it’s a parent, a friend, or a grandparent – they’re walking for someone.”
The company uses its digital billboard on a busy Gastonia road and social media to promote the Walk. Company-wide meetings include updates and calls to action. And on Walk day, an adorable hound dog mascot – often worn by a teenage child of an employee – adds a joyful touch, reminding everyone that purpose and joy can coexist.
For Janet and Steven, the Walk is more than an event. It’s a reflection of their journey, their resilience, and their hope. “It’s emotional,” Janet says. “But it’s also powerful. We’re not alone.”
LIKE JANET and STEVEN, 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.
Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®:
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.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s 2025 dates in North Carolina:
| Alamance County | 9/27/25 |
| Asheville | 9/27/25 |
| Charlotte | 10/18/25 |
| Fayetteville | 10/25/25 |
| Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln | 10/11/25 |
| Guilford County | 10/25/25 |
| Henderson County | 9/27/25 |
| Iredell Co. & Lake Norman | 9/27/25 |
| Jacksonville | 9/27/25 |
| Moore County | 9/13/25 |
| Mount Airy | 9/20/25 |
| New Bern | 10/18/25 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus | 10/4/25 |
| Unifour | 10/25/25 |
| Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) | 10/4/25 |
| Wilmington | 11/1/25 |
| Winston-Salem | 11/16/25 |
