Love blooms at Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Huntington Beach
Brightly-colored pinwheel flowers planted seeds of hope that a crushing disease can be defeated. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Huntington Beach on Saturday, Oct. 6, raised $268,000, 20 percent shy of its $335,000 goal, although donations are being collected through the end of the month.
Linda Sadeghi attended her first walk with Al Pugchino, her 4-year-old pug. Sadeghi’s grandmother, mother and younger brother all had been diagnosed with the disease, which currently afflicts more than 5 million Americans. Her 88-year-old father has been caring for her mom for eight years.
“To see there are others in the same situation is impactful,” said Sadeghi, of the Lab and Camp retail complexes in Costa Mesa. She hopes awareness will prompt Congress to spend more money on research. “I worry for myself because Alzheimer’s is such a burden on others.”
Anne Grey, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Orange County chapter, whose grandpa died in 2001 after a 14-year struggle, said 16 million people are unpaid care providers for Alzheimer’s patients.
“As the prevalence of this disease continues to grow, the cost of care is escalating into the hundreds of billions,” Grey said. “Alzheimer’s is destroying our families, our finances and our future. It’s time to end it.”
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