Twice the Impact During the Dog Days of Summer
Twice the Impact During the Dog Days of Summer
Our End of Summer 2x Match is underway, but not for long. From now until midnight on Aug. 31, your gift can have double the impact on advancing research and helping provide care and support for those impacted by Alzheimer’s.
Donate NowJJ and Tim Jordan
"Now that we went through all of this, I know what people are going through and I know how much they need that help. So hopefully whatever we end up leaving will help support families like ours. A world without Alzheimer's is the legacy that we would like to leave behind."
Tim and JJ Jordan, Founders Society members, have generously included the Alzheimer's Association in their legacy plans.
One day, JJ Jordan's phone rang. It was a team member from the Alzheimer's Association. JJ and her husband, Tim, had been working to manage caregiving for Tim's mother and father, as well as JJ's mother. All three were experiencing various levels of dementia.
"I said, 'Hi, what can I do for you?'" JJ remembers. "They say, 'No, no no. I'm calling to see how you are.' JJ was shocked by the question. "I just broke down and cried, because I had pretty much lost my identity at some point along the way. I thought, 'Me? Me? I haven't thought about me for ages.'"
JJ and Tim were caregivers for their parents for 16 years. "We've all known about Alzheimer's for a long time, but I don't think you really think about it too much until it becomes personal," Tim says.
Tim's mother was the first of their parents to be diagnosed with the disease, and he still remembers her reaction. "I remember her starting to cry and just saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm losing my mind,'" says Tim.
The doctor told them to do two things — go home and have a good cry and then call the Alzheimer's Association. They did both.
JJ's mother began showing signs of dementia a year later, and Tim's father soon thereafter. The couple began caring for their parents, just as their parents had once cared for them. JJ and Tim say that the Association was a critical lifeline for them throughout their time as caregivers.
"I would not have survived without the Association," JJ says. "We just never felt alone."
Tim says his parents' experience has made him reflect on his own health and risk for dementia. "When you have two parents with Alzheimer's, somewhere in your mind, you're thinking, 'What do I need to be worried about? How should I be living?' I try to take care of myself, but it's always a concern," says Tim.
JJ feels the same. "We know the 10 risk factors, the 10 risk reducers and the 10 warning signs by heart, and we take it pretty seriously. Life is for living. So, I'm not saying that we never enjoy a glass of wine, but it's in moderation."
Both of the Jordans have seen a marked improvement when it comes to how people talk about and treat Alzheimer's and other dementias.
"There's so much more positive than there was," Tim says. "I think it used to just be thought of as a lost cause. Now, there are reasons to be optimistic." JJ adds that people now seem more willing to talk about dementia, and the introduction of new treatments and research on reduction offers real hope.
"I think the stigma is really improving," JJ says. "People are talking about it, and we're living in the era of treatment, which is fabulous. We're also living in the era of risk reduction."
The family's experience cemented a lifelong connection to the organization, leading them to include the Alzheimer's Association in their estate plans.
"Now that we went through all of this, I know what people are going through and I know how much they need that help," Tim explains. "So hopefully whatever we end up leaving will help support families like ours."
The Jordans' generous commitment makes them members of the Founders Society, created to recognize and honor those extraordinary people who leave a gift to the Association in their will, trust or estate plans.
"I think having some kind of charitable giving in your estate is something people ought to think about because everyone can do it," Tim says. "Of course, it doesn't need to be the entire estate like we are doing, but leaving a gift shows you care about the cause."
JJ thinks about their investment in the Alzheimer's Association as an investment in her best friend: her brain.
"My brain is my best friend, my BFF forever," JJ says. "There isn't much that I'm not going to do for my best friend. So that means my pocketbook, and that means lifestyle changes. I don't have a second glass of wine, although I might want one. I exercise every morning even though I don't love the treadmill, but I'm on it. I am learning everything I can about this. At this point in my life, this is just what you do for your best friend, and that's my brain."
And in JJ's opinion, giving to support brain health through your estate can hold special significance.
"I can't think of a better gift that you could leave to your heirs than brain health, helping to fix this before it's ever their turn," she says. "It's the best gift you could give anybody."
What do the Jordans hope their gift will achieve? It's simple: "A world without Alzheimer's is the legacy that we would like to leave behind."
Interested in this type of gift?
JJ and Tim Jordan are making their gift to the Alzheimer's Association via their estate plans. You can find more information about what this means at the link below.
Donor spotlight
Andy and Ricci Sanchez
"We hope there are more promising breakthroughs while we're still here, and we want to be part of this battle even when we're gone. We'll never stop!"
John Strader
"With the dire necessity to improve the situation for the people that are living with this disease and the people that are caring for them, I decided this is the best place to invest our estate after Lisa and I are gone."
Diane Young
"I want to help the Association continue its work on research, clinical trials and free resources for caregivers. Without money, they can't do those things. That's going to be a part of my legacy to my mom."
Anjanette Kichline
"I'm so proud to be able to honor my father and other family members who lost their fights to Alzheimer's. My dad was an inspiration to me, and I hope, through my gift, I can inspire others to join the fight to end Alzheimer's."
Pat and Dave Krebs
"We want to play an active part in the vision of the Alzheimer's Association — that one day, there will be a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia."
Russ and Katy Wing
"I chose to create a charitable gift annuity to benefit the Alzheimer's Association — a meaningful way to give back while receiving lifetime income. It's a win-win."
Find your local Alzheimer's Association Planned Giving Advisor
Our planned giving team is here to answer questions about including the Alzheimer's Association in a will, trust, beneficiary designations or other legacy planning opportunities.
Contact the planned giving team
Jill Workman
Alzheimer's Association
Senior Director, Planned Giving
Phone: 866.233.5148
Email: plannedgiving@alz.org
The information provided on this website is presented solely as general educational information and is not intended to be a substitute for professional estate planning, financial or legal advice. It is important to consult with a tax, financial and/or legal advisor about your specific situation.