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Common Experience, Uncommon Commitment
At 86, Ralph Winn has certainly earned the right to take
it easy. But idleness doesn't come easily to this retired
rail transportation supervisor and World War II veteran. In
fact, Ralph is among the most active and dedicated volunteers
in his local Alzheimer's Association® chapter. He's also a
passionate advocate for Alzheimer research and a regular attendee
of the annual Alzheimer's Association Public Policy Forum.
He's planning on attending the 2007 Forum, his seventh consecutive
trip. There, he may-once again-claim the title "oldest advocate
at the Forum."
"I just feel like if I can be of assistance or help in any way, even though it might be very small and minor, I want to be helping all I can and fighting this disease,"
he said.
In truth, Ralph's contributions are neither small nor minor. He's a past member of the board of directors of the Upstate South Carolina Chapter and is co-facilitator of a caregiver support group in his hometown of Spartanburg, S.C. It's the same support group that he started attending after his wife, Hazel, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the early 1990s.
"The group was very supportive and helpful to me, especially from an educational standpoint in learning a little bit more about the disease," he recalled.
Ralph was Hazel's full-time caregiver for nearly a decade. Throughout that time, he was a regular attendee of the meetings and became a firm believer in the importance of a strong support network. "Support groups don't prevent or cure anything, but they're good for your morale," said Ralph.
Through the group, Ralph learned of outside and in-home services for his wife-and that it was OK to take advantage of those services.
"It's a 24/7, 365 job, but it's important to get some relief," Ralph said. "And that's not being a bit selfish or disrespectful to my wife, because it can affect the caregiver's health."
He believes so strongly in the importance of caregiver support that he decided to walk his talk-literally. A large portion of the funds raised by the Upstate South Carolina Chapter's Memory Walk® events goes to support caregiver services, and for several years Ralph was the top dollar-raiser.
Though Hazel passed away in 2002, Ralph remains as active as ever in the Association and its activities.
"I want to be upbeat and optimistic about it and I don't want to take the position, 'Well, my loved one is dead, I've had enough of this, I'm out of it,'" he said. Quite the contrary: In 2002, Ralph was a nominee for the Maureen Reagan Outstanding Advocate Award. He's also sat on plenary and workshop panels at past Forums.
This year, he's looking forward to the Forum's many educational sessions, as well as connecting with other advocates from across the country. But the real draw, he said, is the opportunity to call on members of Congress.
"We look them right in the eye and tell them, 'Nationwide, we have 4.5 million cases of Alzheimer's. Unless we get a handle on this disease-either through a cure or prevention-by mid-century it will increase to somewhere between 16 and 18 million cases,'" he said.
He noted that many of the politicians and staff members he's met have personal experience with Alzheimer's, and the message is always an easy one to deliver.
"It's not at all intimidating," he stressed. "In fact, I look forward to it every year. And I want to keep doing it as long as I can."
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