On September 23, hundreds of stalwart supporters braved gusty winds and spotty rain showers to gather in front of the Winthrop University Coliseum. The weather, carried by the fringes of Tropical Storm Ophelia, did not dampen the spirits of the Rock Hill community as they came together for the first Walk to End Alzheimer’s of the South Carolina season.
Among the slightly soggy crowd were members of the
Carolina Cure Seekers team, led by team captain Alison Whitmire Dumitru (pictured below with team, third from left).
This was Alison’s second year walking in honor of her mother, Betty, who is living with Alzheimer’s in another state.
When Alison was young, Betty helped provide care for her own mother, who eventually passed away with Alzheimer’s. In addition to raising three children, Betty also owned a knitting, yarn and needlework shop and volunteered at the local elementary school as "the Reading Fairy.”
Now, Betty is facing the disease herself, and Alison and her sisters (pictured together at right) have decided to help her stay at home.
It hasn’t been easy: they started needing outside help during COVID-19 at a time when families were naturally hesitant to introduce new people into the home. Today, one of Alison’s sisters lives next door to her mom, serving as the primary caregiver with assistance from home caregivers and hospice services.
“At the beginning we tried to tackle every step on our own,” said Alison. “It is extremely difficult to be a child and a caregiver. We've passed the defiant period [with Mom] and now try to spend time with her as she moves between good and bad days. Fortunately, the good still outweigh the bad.”
After last year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Alison learned that a few of her colleagues at Continental Tire had also been impacted by Alzheimer’s, and they decided to form a team together for 2023.
Alison applied for and received a generous company donation in support of their team. Continental Tire also spotlighted the Carolina Cure Seekers team within workplace newsletters (example below), sharing the team members’ stories and providing an opportunity for other coworkers to join.
The team ended up being the 4
th highest fundraising team in Rock Hill, surpassing their team goal of $3,500. Together, they have raised $5,460 for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer's Association.
“They’ve been great to work with,” Alison said of her teammates. “Yes the fundraising – but I think it’s more about having people talk about this, that have experienced it with their families. I don’t think a lot of people do.”
That has certainly been a highlight for Alison, who is supporting her sister however she can as a long distance caregiver. In addition to visiting monthly, Alison manages some of her mother’s healthcare and financial matters, like long term care insurance claims that must be actively handled in order to secure approvals.
“The generation that we’re in right now, I think it’s important to talk to each other about it. Because you make difficult decisions, and it’s hard!” said Alison.
Walk day may be over in Rock Hill, but Alison and her colleagues have started an important conversation through their Walk to End Alzheimer’s team, opening the door for coworkers to reach out to one another about the challenges they are facing with Alzheimer’s or other dementia.
“One of our coworkers that we didn’t know said that he had a family member that is going through something similar. And another person said that their grandmother is starting down that path,” said Alison. “I think it’s important just for people to know that they aren’t alone.”
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Walk to End Alzheimer’s continues throughout the fall in the Palmetto State. Check out our remaining Walk locations and sign up today.
Interested in forming a team at work, but not sure how to get started? Contact our Walk staff team at walksc@alz.org to learn more.
The Alzheimer’s Association also offers free educational presentations on popular topics to groups and workplaces. Check out our most popular topics and submit our online request form.
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.