Hello. My name is Mary, also known as Nena, and I am the proud daughter of Carmelita. My momma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a little over 7 years ago at the young age of 65. The disease has progressed to where she now requires 24/7 care and supervision which is more than I can handle on my own. I have some hired help that allows me to go to work. Their schedules are carefully thought out to fit my budget, but the need for help is increasing and as we all know, our salaries do not increase to match our needs.

I, myself, have health issues and was recently hospitalized due to a Multiple Sclerosis (MS) flareup. As a result, I used up the majority of my leave, and as much as I'd like to take some much needed time off to rest, I can't. I save my hours for doctor appointments for each of us.

My goal is to keep my mom at home as long as it makes sense medically, but as her disease progresses, she will require more care which I cannot afford nor provide. I based the fundraising goal on what I currently pay annually plus the cost to hire additional help.

I love my mom and will do anything I am physically able to do. I changed my day to day life to accommodate her so she can have some consistency and stability. I have a set routine for her that we do not deviate from even if that means watching the same Disney movies over and over. Her current caregivers have been nothing short of fantastic with her, but if you know anything about caregiving, the burnout is real. It is physically and mentally taxing. Yet, they rarely take time off because they know the stress it causes on me and my health, and quite honestly they care a lot about her. I am beyond grateful for them, and they too deserve some rest, but without additional help, it makes it difficult to rotate schedules.

It's an honor to be able to have my mom at home, and I would like to keep it that way as long as I can. I hope this touches you and if you feel compelled to help Carmelita stay home for whatever time she has left, in her own warm bed, I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

Mary