Bonnie's Early-Onset Alzheimer Fund
Donation protected
Hello,
We are a group of people who have come together to help our friend Bonnie who was diagnosed 8 months ago at the young age of 54 with Early Onset Alzheimer's. (Yes, like the film "Still Alice" but without the Hollywood glamour. )
Last month, Bonnie went to an Alzheimer's specialist who delivered another blow: the disease had advanced and is now in the Middle to Late stages. We knew it was progressing, but it was still devastating to hear.
Familial Early Onset Alzheimer’s is a rare form of the disease and affects people between the ages of 30 + 60 years old. This formation is found in 5% of Alzheimer's cases and progresses at a faster pace than "traditional" Alzheimer's. At almost 50% faster in some cases.
A little background:
Things had been "off" with Bonnie since about 2008. Her spaciness and forgetfulness was getting worse as the years went on.
She became more reclusive, saying inappropriate things in public, getting confused, and letting her work faulter. Large periods of isolation followed.
Many assumed this was a depression, or a mid-life crisis. Which was understandable. Bonnie was in her 40's at the time and under a great deal of stress as any Single working Mother is. Others speculated early menopause.
Bonnie had almost all but stopped working. When she did, the work wasn't up to "Bonnie" standards.
At a certain point, her teenage daughters went out and got restaurant jobs to help support their Mother.
When Bonnie's daughters came home for Christmas in 2013 from College, they found their Mother malnourished, underwight, unbathed + penniless; the apartment was an unhealthy mess, and her meals appeared to consist mainly of crackers. Her electricity was barely on, and the rent on her apartment was 8 months behind.
The daughters were frightened and called their Mother's family in the United States. Bonnie's caring relatives flew to Amsterdam and brought Bonnie back to her hometown of Rockford, Illinois.
Bonnie's relatives thought they were helping her through a depression/nervous breakdown; they assumed she would stay with them for just a few months while she recovered, and eventually obtain a job and an apartment.
Months later, Bonnie was still not better. She was eventually referred to a neurologist.
And then the heartbreaking diagnosis: Alzheimer's.
The relatives home, had now unexpectedly become Bonnie's permanant home.
Bonnie has no immediate family except for her 2 college-age daughters who are over 3000 miles away working to put themselves through school. Prior to this, the longest Bonnie was away from "her girls" was one month.
This is most likely Bonnie's last cognizant year where she will be able to eat unassisted, walk un-aided, dress without help, use the bathroom on her own, and still be able to communicate --- even with her declining vocabulary, she is still able to communicate with words.
Though, Bonnie, the Mother will not get to see her daughters graduate college, get married, nor will she get to experience being a grandmother amongst the many, many other joys of life, much less a Mother's life.
As each day comes to a close, so do Bonnie's memories which are being obliterated one, by one, with this wretched disease.
We are raising funds to help with covering family travel expenses as well as general day to day care. With each day, comes new needs.
In addition, this is to have Bonnie’s last cognitive year be one filled with happy experiences regardless of memory capacity. Her heart knows love, laughter, and those feelings will give Bonnie some comfort during this final chapter.
This is a trying journey and one that is demanding emotionally as well as financially on her primary caretakers who are mostly retired and on fixed incomes.
We need your help to achieve this goal.
Whether it’s 1.00 or 20.00, every amount counts, and we are so very, very grateful.
Thank you to everyone who watched the video and read this post. Thank you.
In deepest appreciation and love,
Team Bonnie
xoxo
***If you are concerned about your memory, or of a loved one, please reach out to your local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association: www.alz.org
The earlier the diagnosis, the better quality of life you can have.
We are a group of people who have come together to help our friend Bonnie who was diagnosed 8 months ago at the young age of 54 with Early Onset Alzheimer's. (Yes, like the film "Still Alice" but without the Hollywood glamour. )
Last month, Bonnie went to an Alzheimer's specialist who delivered another blow: the disease had advanced and is now in the Middle to Late stages. We knew it was progressing, but it was still devastating to hear.
Familial Early Onset Alzheimer’s is a rare form of the disease and affects people between the ages of 30 + 60 years old. This formation is found in 5% of Alzheimer's cases and progresses at a faster pace than "traditional" Alzheimer's. At almost 50% faster in some cases.
A little background:
Things had been "off" with Bonnie since about 2008. Her spaciness and forgetfulness was getting worse as the years went on.
She became more reclusive, saying inappropriate things in public, getting confused, and letting her work faulter. Large periods of isolation followed.
Many assumed this was a depression, or a mid-life crisis. Which was understandable. Bonnie was in her 40's at the time and under a great deal of stress as any Single working Mother is. Others speculated early menopause.
Bonnie had almost all but stopped working. When she did, the work wasn't up to "Bonnie" standards.
At a certain point, her teenage daughters went out and got restaurant jobs to help support their Mother.
When Bonnie's daughters came home for Christmas in 2013 from College, they found their Mother malnourished, underwight, unbathed + penniless; the apartment was an unhealthy mess, and her meals appeared to consist mainly of crackers. Her electricity was barely on, and the rent on her apartment was 8 months behind.
The daughters were frightened and called their Mother's family in the United States. Bonnie's caring relatives flew to Amsterdam and brought Bonnie back to her hometown of Rockford, Illinois.
Bonnie's relatives thought they were helping her through a depression/nervous breakdown; they assumed she would stay with them for just a few months while she recovered, and eventually obtain a job and an apartment.
Months later, Bonnie was still not better. She was eventually referred to a neurologist.
And then the heartbreaking diagnosis: Alzheimer's.
The relatives home, had now unexpectedly become Bonnie's permanant home.
Bonnie has no immediate family except for her 2 college-age daughters who are over 3000 miles away working to put themselves through school. Prior to this, the longest Bonnie was away from "her girls" was one month.
This is most likely Bonnie's last cognizant year where she will be able to eat unassisted, walk un-aided, dress without help, use the bathroom on her own, and still be able to communicate --- even with her declining vocabulary, she is still able to communicate with words.
Though, Bonnie, the Mother will not get to see her daughters graduate college, get married, nor will she get to experience being a grandmother amongst the many, many other joys of life, much less a Mother's life.
As each day comes to a close, so do Bonnie's memories which are being obliterated one, by one, with this wretched disease.
We are raising funds to help with covering family travel expenses as well as general day to day care. With each day, comes new needs.
In addition, this is to have Bonnie’s last cognitive year be one filled with happy experiences regardless of memory capacity. Her heart knows love, laughter, and those feelings will give Bonnie some comfort during this final chapter.
This is a trying journey and one that is demanding emotionally as well as financially on her primary caretakers who are mostly retired and on fixed incomes.
We need your help to achieve this goal.
Whether it’s 1.00 or 20.00, every amount counts, and we are so very, very grateful.
Thank you to everyone who watched the video and read this post. Thank you.
In deepest appreciation and love,
Team Bonnie
xoxo
***If you are concerned about your memory, or of a loved one, please reach out to your local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association: www.alz.org
The earlier the diagnosis, the better quality of life you can have.
Organizer and beneficiary
Bonnie Orleans Voss
Organizer
Rockford, IL
Elizabeth Heflin
Beneficiary
