Even though his formal education did not extend beyond the fifth grade, Charlie Pruitt’s unwavering work ethic persevered to nearly the end of his life. He built pianos for Kohler & Campbell for over 45 years until they filed for bankruptcy in the 1980’s. “Daddy did not think twice about walking three miles in the […]
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Sarah McLellan’s great grandmother moved from Sweden when she was a teenager. She raised Sarah’s grandmother Shirley to find pride in working hard, taking care of her family and building a home. Shirley and her brother had a house on Cape Cod where Sarah and her family would spend their summers. Shirley had five kids […]
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“After being together for 33 years, that was the first time I had ever seen my husband cry,” recalls Jeanette Martinez of Jacksonville, NC. William ‘Willie’ Martinez, 55, had just been diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2009. While this news understandably shook the Martinez family to its core, Jeanette knew she needed to be […]
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Jerry and Kay Tucker have been volunteers on the planning committee for Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Guilford County for four years. They have seen their walk event grow from a crowd that barely filled a small park at High Point University to overflowing LeBauer Park in downtown Greensboro. They have grown their understanding of […]
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‘Clarity – Capacity – Cure’ – is the motto that Charlotte resident Joyce Gottlieb has relied upon since her mother Bessie Ledbetter was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. “Mom’s behavior became out of character for her about ten years ago,” shares Joyce. “This disease can really sneak up on the individual living with it as well as […]
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While she may not have worn the razor-sharp boomerang tiara, the deflective bracelets of victory or the golden lasso of truth, Sylvia Brown was ‘Wonder Woman’ in her own regard. Raising seven children of her own, and embracing the loving support roles of grandmother to 17 grandchildren and great-grandmother to 31 great grand-children, her position […]
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Nelson and Charlotte Queen are unfortunately no strangers to Alzheimer’s disease. Surrounded by this “dragon”, their Walk to End Alzheimer’s team “The Queen’s Court” honors many family members on both sides of their family that have passed away fighting this disease. Besides a play on their last name, Nelson explains that this comparison extends further: […]
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“Walk isn’t just an event, it’s a movement,” shares Kevin McRae of Asheville, North Carolina. “When I heard someone use that phrase during one of our recent Walk to End Alzheimer’s committee meetings, it really struck a chord with me.” Kevin’s father Harold ‘Corky’ McRae sadly succumbed to the disease in 2017, and their family […]
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Kim Carpenter equates caring for her mom to a marathon, as it is far from a sprint. The book “Once an Adult and Twice a Child” rings true for Kim, a resident of Durham, North Carolina. “Until you experience it firsthand, and more so from a caregiver’s perspective, you don’t realize how much Alzheimer’s disease […]
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Laura Banasiewicz remembers her father as being very active and sharp. In fact, her father George worked as an engineer well into his seventies. He did all of his family’s finances and was very handy around the house. “He could fix anything,” Laura recalls. It was this drive and attention to detail that first alerted […]
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Alzheimer's Association North Carolina Blog 