Sacramento woman participates in Walk to End Alzheimer's: "It's the worst disease"
SACRAMENTO — With nearly seven million people currently living with Alzheimer's disease in the United States, advocates stress the urgency of finding a cure, especially as that number is expected to double by 2050.
This weekend, you have a chance to make a difference by participating in Sacramento's annual Walk to End Alzheimer's.
The funds raised from this event not only contribute to vital research for a cure but also provide crucial support for those caring for loved ones battling the disease. One such advocate is Melissa Wos, who, despite losing her mother in 2021, continues to fight for awareness and research.
"I watched my dad die of lung cancer, and it was about a four-month journey, and I wouldn't wish Alzheimer's on my worst enemy. It is a horrific, horrific disease," she said.
Melissa described her mother, Joyce, as her best friend. Watching her health decline over the span of eight years was one of the hardest things to watch. It was 2013 when, after her father died of lung cancer, she noticed her mother's confusion getting worse. A visit to a neurologist led to a devastating diagnosis: dementia.
Melissa's wife, Carrie, made the selfless decision to leave her job and care for Joyce full-time.
"I'll be honest with you. I don't know how she did it," Melissa said. "There were things that she did that I mean nurses essentially do."
As they endured the ups and downs of her mother's disease, Melissa said watching her mother become unrecognizable was the most difficult part.
"I think the hardest part of the journey for me was watching the kindest woman I ever met in my life turn into essentially somebody who looked like they had a mental illness," she said.
When Joyce died in 2021, Melissa chose to donate her mother's brain to the University of Miami for research.
"We cannot find a cure without that research," she emphasized.
The findings revealed Joyce had Alzheimer's and Lewy body dementia, conditions that profoundly impacted her quality of life.
Walking for change
Every year, Wos participates in the Walk to End Alzheimer's, raising funds and awareness.
"It's just that important to find a cure. No one should have to suffer the way my mother did," she said.
In addition to being one of the top fundraisers even after her mother's passing, Wos is also taking her advocacy to the California State Capitol. Newsom signed Senate Bill 639 into law, supporting more training for those working with people with dementia.
SB 639 creates a new continuing education requirement for nurse practitioners and physician assistants to complete 20% of their annual Continuing Medical Education requirement in geriatrics and the special care of persons with dementia if their patient population exceeds 25%.