What a great day turning North Carolina purple to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease! The annual North Carolina Advocacy Day was held on March 14, 2019 and was sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern and Western North Carolina. Huge progress was made in its mission to speak for stakeholders of this dreaded disease; sufferers, their families and loved ones. This year over 60 passionate advocates from across North Carolina converged on the state capital in Raleigh to meet and urge lawmakers and policy setters to support key Alzheimer’s legislative initiatives to foster Alzheimer’s research and support. I myself met with 10 of our lawmakers and policy setters this Advocacy Day. It was encouraging to see their awareness of this public health issue and their commitment to support Alzheimer’s programs. We had a lot of meaningful discussions where the scope and severity of the issue was conveyed along with specific action items to support so many who are impacted by this disease. Advocates shared their personal stories and spoke face-to-face with legislators about addressing this growing public health crisis. Many thanks to Senator Mike Woodard, Representative Joe John, the Legislative Staff of Senator Dan Blue, Senator Jay J Chaudhuri, Representative Cynthia Ball, Representative Don Davis, and Representative Darren G Jackson for their time and attention to this cause.
New 2019 Facts and Figures shows 170,000 North Carolinians are living with Alzheimer’s. It is the 6th leading cause of death in North Carolina and has no treatment or cure. Those affected by this disease are expected to continue to rise by more than 23% in the next 7 years. The time for action is NOW. Become an Alzheimer’s champion in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Be an advocate, join a walk, every small step helps! https://www.actionalz.org/.
