Memories are Everything®
Raising Funds and Awareness for Alzheimer’s

Alan Arnette is an Alzheimer's advocate for individuals, their families and anyone impacted by this disease through his professional speaking, climbing and website.

Over $450,000 raised for Alzheimer's non-profits and
60 million people reached through his climbs

100% of all donations go to Alzheimer's, none ever to Alan

His objectives for the Memories are Everything® climbs are:
  • Educate the public, especially youth, on the early warning signs and how to prepare
  • Increase awareness that Alzheimer's Disease has no cure
  • Raise research money for Alzheimer's non-profits
His projects include:

Donate to Alzheimer's • NO CURE, always Fatal
• No easy, inexpensive method of early detection
• 3rd leading cause of death in the US
• New case every 68 seconds, 4 seconds worldwide
• Impacts more than 5+m in US, 25m+ worldwide
• Devastating financial burden on families
• Depression higher for caregivers
• Issues are increasing rapidly as population ages

Donate to Alzheimers
None of the donations go to Alan
or climbing expenses.

 


Hope, Need and Urgency for Alzheimer’s

The spending on Alzheimer's research pales in comparison to that spent on cancer, heart disease and many other crippling diseases. Funding through the National Institutes of Health puts Alzheimer's research at $3,148 million estimated in 2023. This is a significant increase over previous years due to extensive lobbying by non-profits and taxpayers. However, it still lags behind equally horrible diseases including $7.4 billion for cancer.

Alzheimer's disease is the only top 10 cause of death in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.

You can make a difference by supporting one of the non-profit research organizations listed on this page:

Donate to Alzheimers
None of the donations go to Alan
or climbing expenses.


Ida Arnette

Ida Arnette

We had noticed my mother's memory was slipping but it came into focus over the holidays one year. During the 2003 Christmas holiday, we went to a hotel for their famous brunch. As usual, we all got up to visit the buffet and indulge until we could no more. I noticed my mom walking around aimlessly. She was lost, not knowing where she was or who we were. As I went over to her, she seemed startled at my approach. "What do you want to eat?" I asked her gently. "Oh, you know, the usual." was her noncommittal answer.

In spite of this warning sign she and my dad continued their independent life for several more years, refusing to make the required changes in spite of our begging. As her memory grew worse, she mastered the technique of the elusive "throw-away" answer. My dad supported her deception either by design or by necessity.

Sitting across the table from her during breakfast, we chatted intently about dad being in the hospital. I had to keep reminding her that he was not well and it was serious. In the midst of this serious talk, she looked at me with clarity in her eyes and simply asked "Now, who are you again?"

Ida and Alan

With dad now gone forever, my brother and I made the difficult decision to put mom in a home in 2006 where she could be watched and cared for every second of every day for the rest of her life. Her doctor confirmed she had Alzheimer’s. I took early retirement for my job to oversee her care. It was a frustrating and confusing experience but thankfully my mom was happy and safe. We gave her constant attention and love and found ways to keep her in the moment using music, humor and a gentle touch on the hand.

I called her on Thanksgiving, 2007. She was down saying no one was there and she was alone. When in fact many friends and family had spent the day with her. When I called her two days later, she did not remember any of Thanksgiving day or that I was coming to see her in a few days.

In late 2008, she did not recognize me or my brother. She had no memories of her childhood or those of her husband of 60 years. She could not recognize herself in a picture. She needed help getting dressed. The only blessing was that she did not understand what was happening to her and that she would probably die a horrible death when her brain 'forgets' how to swallow. Sadly,my mom's sister Christine Lane passed away on Feb. 21, 2008 from Alzheimer's complications. You see, Alzheimer's disease is not about just losing your memory, it is about dying. And it can happen to anyone at any age - it is not just a disease of the elderly

By 2009, her disease had progressed to the final stage where her basic daily functions are no longer under her control. She needed assistance with all aspects of life. She went on a hospice service to make her final time as comfortable as possible and to let her go on her own time.

She passed away on August 16, 2009.



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Alzheimer's Resources

The following websites have information for you, your family and caregivers to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and ongoing research: