You don’t have to be a senior citizen to understand the pain that Alzheimer’s disease brings to a loved one. Luke Bergen has seen the tragedy of this insidious, incurable dementia up close. It took his beloved grandmother, Lena, after a six-year battle with the disease. She passed in 2020, just as he graduated from college, but left behind an inspiration to help find a cure and better care for those living with the disease.
“Witnessing my grandma’s experience with Alzheimer’s was one of the primary factors influencing me to pursue a career in the life sciences,” said Bergen, now age 25. “I chose to study biology and neuroscience during undergraduate studies at the University of Denver and sought work in labs with related research.”
Bergen carries with him memories of seeing his grandma decline from the early and middle stages of dementia as she lived with his family. In the final stages of the disease, the family moved her to New York where she could receive around-the-clock care.
Today, in addition to his professional work in medical research, Bergen is among the youngest planning committee members for the upcoming Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Boulder, scheduled for Saturday morning, Oct. 7, on Business Field on the University of Colorado campus. The Boulder Walk has a fundraising goal of $274,000.
“I started attending the Walk in Denver in 2017,” he said. “Year after year in college, it was a great way to assemble my friends and get a team together in support of a cause that was so close to home for me. Through these Walks, and visiting my grandma until she passed in 2020 at age 96, I began to think of how I could get more involved with the Alzheimer’s Association.”
The young professional, who spends his days on the job at Umoja Biopharma in Louisville where he researches cell and gene immunotherapy to treat cancer, will be leading his Walk to End Alzheimer’s team with several goals in mind. The first is focused on caring for those with the disease.
“I’d like to see the Association increasingly advocate for making high-quality elder care more accessible and affordable,” he said.
And, drawing on his personal experience caring for his grandma, he advises others facing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis: “be mindful of being present with the individual whenever you share moments together. Even as the disease progresses, there are laughs, hugs, dances, joy and love to be shared.”
There are 13 Walks to End Alzheimer’s across Colorado in 2023, raising funds to enable the Alzheimer’s Association to provide information, programs and services at no charge, as well as fund research to find a cure for the seventh-leading cause of death.
There are nearly 7 million people across the United States living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 76,000 Coloradans. To learn more, go to
alz.org or call the free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900. To participate in or donate to the Boulder Walk, go to
bit.ly/coloradowalks.
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.