My name is Grace, and I am 15 years old. For nearly 10 years of my life, my mother was a caregiver for her two aging parents. My grandmother was broken physically, but my grandfather Jim slowly deteriorated due to Alzheimer’s disease, passing in February of 2014. Watching my grandfather lose his identity was one of the hardest situations my family has ever had to cope with. I live with images of how this incurable disease changed him; dealing with the grief of his passing was not easy.
Ever since my grandfather's death, I have wanted to do something to raise awareness and funds to combat Alzheimer’s. My opportunity came this year in my English class.
For my 10th grade service project, I had to choose a charity or foundation to volunteer for. Naturally I chose the Alzheimer’s Association. I raised $200 and made phone calls to people who had started their Longest Day teams to encourage them in their activities. After that, I took the next step. I set up my own team for The Longest Day, where I committed to use my passion, swimming, as a tribute to my grandfather and all people who have lost their life to Alzheimer’s. On The Longest Day, I will swim 16 miles to “Swim for Jim” as a symbolic tribute to those caregivers who work from sunrise to sunset to care for their loved ones.
People recognized my passion right away and so many were excited to donate generously to the cause. I have nearly reached the three thousand dollar-mark on my Longest Day Web page, and I can't thank my donors enough for their tremendous support!
This opportunity to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's is much more than a school project. It's personal. It is a fight for those who have their memories and identity stolen from them. It is a call for others to support the caregivers, researchers and those who have fought this battle. It is a commitment to remember for people who no longer can. It is also a pledge to honor lost loved ones so their agonizing fight will not be in vain.
I hope you will join me on The Longest Day. I can wholeheartedly say that this experience became part of the healing process for me and my whole family. We now have a sense of closure. The donations given and awareness raised will be instrumental in decreasing the number of people who live the longest day every day. Cherish your memories – support the fight to end Alzheimer’s.
About the Author: Grace Arredondo is from Charleston, South Carolina. She swims for her high school swimming team, the Shadowmoss Sharks summer league team and The City of Charleston's Southern Marlins Racing Team. She has chosen to use her competitive swimming skills to honor her grandfather, Jim Whaley, by participating in The Longest Day. You can visit her team page here.