As a child, Sarah Molepske didn’t understand what was happening to her grandmother. Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body dementia were just words. What she knew was that it was difficult to watch her capable, able-bodied grandmother struggle and need assistance.
The changes Sarah observed over her grandmother’s 10-year journey with the disease stuck with her. While in high school in Wisconsin, she centered her Girl Scout gold award project on Alzheimer’s disease and the need to raise awareness. Her passion for the cause continued into Sarah’s college years and beyond, as she volunteered for the Alzheimer’s Association in Wisconsin and participated in Walks to End Alzheimer’s.
Today, Sarah remains an ardent advocate for Alzheimer’s education, motivated by the realization that the genes for the disease may be passed along.
“It concerns me that my mom could possibly have the same fate,” said Sarah, a 27-year-old banker who today lives in Lakewood, Colorado. “My mom is part of an Alzheimer’s study at University of Wisconsin-Madison, so that does give me some comfort.”
Understanding Alzheimer’s better
Sarah’s interest in dementia is driven in great part by the lack of public knowledge of the disease, despite the fact that it is the 6th-leading cause of death in the U.S. and affects more than 6.2 million Americans.
“I would like to help people with Alzheimer’s and dementia to be treated and understood better,” she said. “I would like them and their caregivers to have more support. I would like there to be less of a stigma around the disease so doctors feel comfortable to diagnose it when they should. And I would like more funding for Alzheimer's research.”
To help accomplish those goals, Sarah is part of the Alzheimer’s Association legislative advocacy team, which works with legislators to raise awareness of the disease and its impact on members of the community, and to advocate for legislation as well as increased federal funding for research. As a constituent of U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, she urges his support of the Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer’s Act, which will work to reduce costs and provide better care for Medicare patients living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. She also is part of the team that works with Colorado Rep. Chris Kennedy.
“My best advice to people facing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is ‘try not to be too hard on yourself,” she said. “Ask for help and try to utilize your resources. The Alzheimer’s Association is an extremely helpful resource.”
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.