A team of about a dozen from the Harrington House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center this weekend will walk to raise money for the fight against Alzheimer's disease, a debilitating illness the nurses confront both personally and professionally.
The 3.5-mile Neponset Valley Walk from Bird Middle School on Washington Street to Bird Park begins Saturday at 10 a.m., with registration an hour prior. All money raised will go to a local chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
Director of Nurses Melissa Cappuccino said the money will go to Alzheimer's research, professional training and medicine that may be able to slow the progress of the crippling disease.
Cappuccino wished she had more time than she would get when her then 48-year-old mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Melissa Cappuccino was just 15 then.
She said the disease started slowly, with her mother forgetting to do simple things, like putting detergent into the washing machine while doing a load of laundry. It progressed to the point where her outgoing mother wasn't able to do anything but lay in bed all day.
"It was an eye-opening experience," Cappuccino said. "It really did affect the whole family."
About 16 million Americans will develop the brain disease, which greatly erodes a person's memory, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
The disease not only affects individuals who have it, but also those who care for them over time.
Nurses at Harrington House say they sympathize with families who put Alzheimer's patients into their nursing home. Loved ones often experience what's called caregivers' guilt, knowing they can no longer provide the attention their relatives require.
"We have so many dedicated families who come every day," said Theresa Rizk, Harrington House's recreation director.
Nurses at the long-term assisted care facility experience the realities of Alzheimer's every day.
"That's the saddest part of my job, I'd say," said Rizk about treating Alzheimer's patients and counseling families. "They lose their whole life. The families lose them twice."
Oddly enough, however, nurses said interacting with the Alzheimer's patients has taught them the valuable lesson of living in the now.
"Some of the Alzheimer's residents bring us the biggest joy," said Rizk.
It doesn't matter if they forgot about participating in an activity just minutes after finishing, said Activities Director Barbara Seligman. The thrill is seeing the look in their eye as they show "a glimmer of life again" while participating.
"You know you had them for just a minute," Cappuccino said.
With 13 scheduled walks throughout Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire this month and into October, the Alzheimer's Association hopes to raise a total of $2 million.
"People know about Alzheimer's, but they don't," Rizk said, explaining only affected families realize how devastating a disease it really is.
For those interested in donating or participating in the walk, visit www.memorywalkMANH.org or contact Rosemary Damigella at 781-449-4040, ext. 139.
