Mike McConville’s Fight Against Alzheimer’s

Hi, I’m Kylie Linstead and I’m Mike McConville’s daughter (Mr. McConville or Mr. Mac as most know him). My dad was diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s in late 2021 at the age of 51. The years that have followed have undoubtly been the most heavy and heartbreaking journey that my family has ever endured. The silver lining to it all is that my dad has stayed the laid back and kind spirited person that we’ve always known him to be. He continues to go with the flow and happily live in the moment but he is declining steadily and has lost most of his ability to communicate, among other numerous symptoms. At his most recent neurologist visit in December, his doctor advised that he is very quickly nearing the point of being unable to stay at home during the day by himself, a day that my mom and I knew was coming, although this is *much* sooner than we initially anticipated. I will spare the full details of the absolutely astonishing and tireless effort my mom has made to try to find resources available for my dad, only to be told majority of the time that he is “too young” or does not qualify for one reason or another for assistance, despite him being terminally ill. Neither one of my parents would ever in a million years ask for help, especially monetarily, but the financial burden they are about to take on for the end stages of my dad’s care is overwhelming. Any support that can be given to help them through this difficult time means more than I can put into words.

If you’re a former student of my dad’s, I want you to know that even if he can’t express it, he still cares deeply about each of you. He struggles tremendously with short term memory now but he will still frequently ask me if I remember specific students and will smile when he recalls a memory he has of you. I know he touched many of you if you had the pleasure of having him as a teacher and in turn, you all etched a deep and lasting memory in him.