Ain’t no mountain high enough
When Wally Klatch became a dad, he didn’t do it just to shepherd his four children to adulthood. He made a loving lifetime commitment that, at age 69, has taken him halfway around the world to Denver. He’s not allowing a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), or even a recent stroke, to keep him from viewing his time near his son as “a golden moment.”
Wally’s life story has many twists and turns. Born in Indiana, he and his now ex-wife moved to Israel in the 1970s with two children in tow and two more born in their new home. A long career in operations management, a divorce, and watching his children establish themselves in archeology, retail, real estate and the restaurant industry kept him fully engaged.
Even after receiving an MCI diagnosis in October of 2022, Wally was content with his life. But a move by son, Uri, to the U.S. to pursue his culinary career passion added a layer of complexity that was compounded by the onset of the Israel-Hamas war.
Uri told his dad that he was worried about separation from the family, and said that the many stresses of the situation, including the war, would be easier to handle if someone from the family would come to be near him. Even though he was far removed from his life in the Midwest, both in years and miles, Wally agreed to take on this new challenge.
“That’s what a parent does for a child,” he said. Even with his recent MCI diagnosis, Wally said “I’m willing to put the positive side on that and to take this adventure.”
Moving alone – with friends
The move to Denver brought many adjustments for Wally. He found a place to live blocks from his son, but the U.S. is not the country he left decades ago.
“It’s a completely different world than Israel in so many ways,” he said. “The mountains in the distance…the way of life…It’s all very special. I’m trying to find balance. I want to talk to my son every day – he’s just a 5-minute walk away – but I try not to be too intrusive. I watch the challenges he’s undertaking, and I’m seeing him more often than I’d seen him for many years.”
At the same time, Wally navigates most of his new life thousands of miles from friends and the balance of his family. But in the virtual world, he’s not alone. Since his MCI diagnosis, Wally has sought connections with “healing circles,” and has continued Zoom meetings with one that he joined while in Israel. Elephant in the Room is one such unique group. Each member is dying from something.
“It’s an incredible group of people,” he said. “I’ll carry on with that group and others, and my goal is to continue talking about MCI as long as I can. The world is a pretty cruel place for families and individuals with Alzheimer’s,” Wally acknowledged. “But I’m glad to have the feeling that I may help other people in Denver.”
While Wally’s relocation to Colorado has been made more challenging by a recent stroke, he’s hopeful that he can establish a “meet-up” group in the area for people with MCI and early-stage Alzheimer’s.
To advance that cause, Wally is volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado. Recognizing that he’s one of 76,000 people across the state living with MCI or Alzheimer's, he understands that there are countless others like himself who would benefit from making connections.
“There’s the cognitive part and there’s the emotional part,” he said. “While I’m mildly cognitively impaired, that has allowed me to be mildly emotionally enhanced. There’s a lot of feelings, and I’m delighted to do what I can to advance awareness of MCI and Alzheimer’s. It’s a golden moment.”
To learn more about the programs and services of the Alzheimer's Association, provided at no charge to families, go to
alz.org or call the free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.
Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia.™ For more information, visit www.alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.