This is my Mom. She is the most amazing Mom anyone could ever ask for. She is loving, kind, funny, generous, intelligent...I could go on here for a while. At 55 my Mom was diagnosed with a very rare form of dementia known as Picks Disease (FTD). Unlike Alzheimers, Picks progresses rapidly with the expected mortality rate being 6-8 years from diagnosis. Unfortunately, Picks is very difficult to diagnose and by the time the doctors make a diagnosis, the disease has already had, sometimes at least a two year onset. My Mom was a vibrant, intelligent, independent, fun loving person who devoted her life as a Nurse to taking care of others. She even worked in a Long-term Care facility on a secured unit, working with individuals suffering from all forms of dementia. She loved animals and she just seemed to have something special that made them gravitate towards her. We even adopted a little shitzu named Rocky for her. He became her little fur-angel. It was heartbreaking when she had to move and was separated from him. 
My Mom's disease, rapidly progressed and my family had to make the very excruciating decision to place my Mom into a Long-term Care facility. My Mom can no longer dress herself or go to the bathroom on her own. Her disease has destroyed her ability to understand simple everyday tasks and has affected basic functions such as speaking, eating and sleeping. Some days she does not recognize us while other days she is extremely aggressive and angry. This is not my Mom. This is her disease.


Some days it is so painful to watch, as she slowly disappears. Long-term Care facilities are incredibly expensive. We could only afford a Ward room for my Mom, which means she shares a very small space with three other people. All her belongings that we could bring with her, fit into a small cupboard and nightstand. Her privacy is a curtain and she has no where she can go to just be quiet. The Nurses usually find her in other rooms, that are quiet and private. She does not sleep in part because of the Picks but also because she does not feel safe. She sometimes sleeps in chairs and we have even found her sleeping, leaning against the walls. The transition has been slow, painful and she has not adjusted well. The last thing she ever wanted was to be put into a Nursing Home, but with her disease, she and my Dad were no longer safe with her living at home. The small amount of money my Mom was receiving from her Disability barely cover the cost of her room and board. My Dad, who suffered a stroke and can no longer work, is struggling to get by with what remains of his own limited funds. Because of all these changes, my Dad needs to fix up his house and sell it. This house, where he and my Mom made their lives together, with four children and coming up on 40 years of marriage. The house where he has made thousands of memories with his wife and children. This was such a hard decision, but my Dad cannot look after himself and the house any longer. He cannot live so far from my Mom either. He really wants to move so he can be closer to her. BUT, the house needs some major work. We are so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful support system, full of amazing people all willing to volunteer their own time and energy to help us with the repairs. We really just need some help with the financial aspect of everything. My Dad cannot afford to make the changes that are absolutely necessary in order to sell his home. He has a very limited income and he really needs some HELP. So that is what I am trying to do. Any funds raised would be going to assist my dad in fixing up his home and helping him move closer to my Mom. And, if possible, any money made from the sale of their home, would also be used in helping with the cost of getting my Mom moved into a semi-private room (she would only share with one other person ). I am doing this because I love my parents and I have felt helpless throughout this entire process. So, this is my way of trying to give back to them and to help them live out the time they have left together, with some sort of normalcy and perhaps relieve some of the constant stress and give my Dad some type of peace with this entire situation. I am grateful, beyond measure, for any help that can be offered :) Thank you!!!!