Joy Wilson went out walking Sunday for her dad, Keith Wood.
The Barrie woman joined hundreds of others participating in the 24th Annual IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s at the Simcoe County Museum in Midhurst.
“He passed away as a result of dementia a couple of months ago,” Wilson said of her father. “And so having gone through that journey, we just want to make sure that we’re not only supporting other people who are going through the same experiences, but also trying to raise money to find a cure for Alzheimer’s some day.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic, neurodegenerative disease that destroys brain cells, causing thinking ability and memory to deteriorate over time, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. It is not a normal part of aging, and is irreversible, the Alzheimer Society of Canada says.
“It’s certainly a very challenging journey for the whole family to see your loved one change, see their personality change,” Wilson said, “but through it all your loved one remains the same deep down, you know, they’re still the same person. It’s definitely a time when loved ones need to pull together and support each other.
“We benefited from the support of the Alzheimer Society in the community and so this is our opportunity to give back,” said Wilson, who was on her second walk.
Debbie Islam, chief executive officer of the Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County, noted this was the first walk since 2029 because of the pandemic. There are 10,500 people in Simcoe County living with dementia, she said.
“This is our largest fundraiser of the year,” Islam said, “and $200,000 is the goal.”
Sunday’s walk raised not only money but awareness for those individuals living with dementia in Simcoe County.
