For my upcoming term as Worthy Advisor of Iris Assembly #31, I wanted to choose a charity that was truly connected to who I am. I chose Alzheimer's research because my connection to older generations has been part of my story since the day I was born.
On the day my twin sister, Meadow, and I were born, our Grandma Carol was on her way to the hospital to meet us when she suffered a tear in her aorta. She passed away one week later. Only two months later, our Grandpa-my dad's father-passed away too. Our family has always said that he died of a broken heart.
In 2017, we lost our other grandmother, my dad's mother, to breast cancer. Then, on our seventh birthday, we lost our beloved great-grandmother, our GG. Much of our childhood has been shaped by how little time we were given with our grandparents and great-grandmother.
My mom made sure those losses did not prevent Meadow and me from forming meaningful relationships with older adults. She brought us to senior centers simply to volunteer our time. We were not completing a required project, and we were not looking for recognition. We went to sit, talk, listen, laugh, and enjoy each other's company.
Those visits taught me that every person carries a lifetime of stories. Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and remembered.
Alzheimer's does not affect only one person's memory. It changes life for the individual, their family, their friends, and the caregivers walking beside them. It can affect memories, communication, independence, and relationships-but it can never erase a person's value or the love they have brought into the world.
That is why I want to use my term as Worthy Advisor to raise money for Alzheimer's research. I want to help create a future with better treatments, more answers, and hope for every family facing this disease.
Why should you donate? Because meaningful change begins when people decide that someone else's future is worth investing in. Every donation, no matter the amount, helps move research forward and shows families affected by Alzheimer's that they are not fighting alone.
I cannot change how little time I was given with some of the people who should have helped shape my childhood. What I can do is use the time and opportunity I have now to help other families hold on to more moments, more stories, and more memories together.
If you are able, please donate to my fundraiser. If you cannot donate, please share my page. Together, we can honor the generations who came before us while helping protect the memories of generations to come.
Thank you for being you!