TUF :: Losing Richard

The Unforgettable Fund

L O S I N G R I C H A R D

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Patty Doherty and I'm one of seven children. Our father, Richard McNally, died of a disease that still poses such a mystery to modern science, it can't even be successfully diagnosed. One can only describe symptoms, and by ruling out other diseases, assume that Alzheimer's has struck.

Because there is no treatment, the progression of Alzheimer's is unstoppable, unalterable and a death sentence. But death doesn't come for years, and by the time it does the dying is of a small flicker of the original flame. This disease creeps into the minds of our elders and destroys the hearts of their spouses and children. Every memory is lost, all bodily functions are forgotten, and life as we know it is over. The ability to touch a loved ones face, to laugh at a tired old joke, to enjoy physical privacy - gone.

The statistics are staggering. The older you get, with each passing year, the chances of being a victim increase until by the age of 85, one in every two seniors will succumb. I look at my spouse and wonder which one? Dreadful thought, but honest.

My father died before we could offer him any hope other than the pleasure he got from a simple walk in his wheelchair, a cool drink on a warm day, and our love. That sounds so incredibly inadequate, but it was the most and best we had. We learned to appreciate smaller and smaller glimpses, until we were forced to rely on our memory of him.

We want to change that, but we can't do it alone. We need your help.



LOSING RICHARD FINDING HOPE THE BLOG HOW TO DONATE HOME TUF VIDEO		The Unforgettable Fund L O S I N G R I C H A R D I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Patty Doherty and I'm one of seven children. Our father, Richard McNally, died of a disease that still poses such a mystery to modern science, it can't even be successfully diagnosed. One can only describe symptoms, and by ruling out other diseases, assume that Alzheimer's has struck. Because there is no treatment, the progression of Alzheimer's is unstoppable, unalterable and a death sentence. But death doesn't come for years, and by the time it does the dying is of a small flicker of the original flame. This disease creeps into the minds of our elders and destroys the hearts of their spouses and children. Every memory is lost, all bodily functions are forgotten, and life as we know it is over. The ability to touch a loved ones face, to laugh at a tired old joke, to enjoy physical privacy - gone. The statistics are staggering. The older you get, with each passing year, the chances of being a victim increase until by the age of 85, one in every two seniors will succumb. I look at my spouse and wonder which one? Dreadful thought, but honest. My father died before we could offer him any hope other than the pleasure he got from a simple walk in his wheelchair, a cool drink on a warm day, and our love. That sounds so incredibly inadequate, but it was the most and best we had. We learned to appreciate smaller and smaller glimpses, until we were forced to rely on our memory of him. We want to change that, but we can't do it alone. We need your help.