I have decided that all of the money received from the sales of my book will be given to the Alzheimer’s Foundation Of America. I have sent them a book for review and possibly they will advertise and sell it at their events. I would be glad to go to their events to make presentations. While my book is not about Alzheimer’s, I have over 20 years of first hand experience with this disease. My mother, father and many of my aunts and uncles on my mother’s side of the family have had Alzheimer’s.
This is my way of giving so that perhaps we can have better medications to slow it down or stop it from happening in the first place. A dream and a hope that will one day come true.
When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I thought I was in the driver’s seat. I had a 50/50 chance. I wished myself luck and took a place in line hoping not to make it up to the front anytime in the near future. Then, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I tried to talk the doctor out of the diagnosis, but he confirmed it as positive. This moved my place in line lots and lots closer. I talked this “line business” over with a friend and she said, “Sheila, you are in line and you can be polite and let people go before you. You know how to do that? Right?” I can be polite. Then, she asked a very important question. “ Have you tested for the marker for Alzheimer’s?”
“No I have not.” I replied. She said, “Don’t, because I am going to wait and if I get a catastrophic disease as in cancer, I will test. If I come up positive then I will not fight the catastrophe.” Sounds like a plan.
I write to tell you about the giving to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America because I want you to know. I know you give. I know you give big. I know some of you have given wings, and rooms and shelves full of books and lots of other giving, so let me know what they are and I can join yours, too. I don’t really believe that giving has to be all in one place. We can help each other. Let me hear from you about yours.
Sheila
Sheilaclapkin's Blog; 
Dec 31, 2007 @ 16:33:25
I give to Cancer Charities and research groups, I think they are important.
I never considered alzheimer’s we always think God willing it won’t happen to us, but it MIGHT, what do we do, what would we do without these charities if it was us, we wouldn’t cope that’s for sure. How hard is it to care for someone night and day in this situation, tiring, very, it must be, like caring for a person with any other ailment, only this time, you need to have your wits about you more. This is a very debilitating illness, so comes the question, for how long can we let these people keep their dignity, before we must say enough is enough and put them into a hospice, but will they still have their dignity, who knows. I’ve never been there, but I might, if not me then maybe a loved one. I hope not. I wouldn’t take the test until I had to either, what we don’t know can’t hurt us. But what a worthwhile cause to give to. If not in hard cash, then what about your time.