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Please Help Us Raise Money in Support of Steve McCarthy, Who is Experiencing Frontotemporal Dementia
Hello Friends,
As many of you may know, our mutual friend Steve was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (or Degeneration), also known as Frontal Lobe Dementia (FTD), over three years ago. There is no cure or medication that can delay FTD’s progression. FTD is different than Alzheimer’s; whereas symptoms of FTD typically appear between the ages of 40 – 65, Alzheimer’s generally occurs in persons over the age of 65.
There are approximately 60,000 reported cases of FTD in the U.S. The only treatment for FTD is considered palliative, or in other words, care remains focused on easing the symptoms. You can find additional information about Frontotemporal Dementia here: https://www.theaftd.org/what-is-ftd/disease-overview/. It is as cruel of a medical condition as any.
A little over two years ago, Steve took up residence at Avita Memory Care unit, a dedicated wing located within the independent and assisted living community of Ledgewood Bay in Milford, NH. Pre-COVID 19, Steve, always accompanied by family or friends, was a popular fixture in the hallways or property confines of Ledgewood Bay. Steve would greet staff and residents, always at a power-walker’s pace, as he made his frequent rounds - saying hello to just about everyone he encountered. Steve was a regular visitor to the common room within the memory care unit, watching tv with other residents of the unit. He lives in a suite he shares with another resident, and is able to dress and sleep in his own bedroom.
COVID 19 restrictions have severely limited guest visits to Ledgewood Bay. Resident activities have also been significantly impacted to mitigate the risk of staff-to-resident transmission. Sadly, Kristen, and their two children Nick (15) and Addie (12), are relegated to periodic “virtual” visits with Steve (with the exception of a brief period last summer where outdoor patio visitations were allowed).
As long-time childhood friends of Steve, many of us have been feeling helpless over these past years, and yet we are certainly unable to grasp the full emotional impact this has had on his entire family. And worse still, as Steve’s medical condition continues to progress unabated, the economic impact on his family will continue to grow as additional staff resources at Ledgewood Bay are required to care for Steve. At some future point, medical care for Steve will almost certainly necessitate him being admitted to a nursing home. This outcome will have an additional impact to the family, emotionally and financially.
The Financial Impact.
According to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, a study conducted in 2017 found that families with a member having FTD spend approximately $120,000 per year, nearly double the amount spent by families with patients who have Alzheimer’s. And because of the very nature of the disorder, and the timing of symptoms appearing much earlier in life, many who develop the condition do so within their prime earning years.
As noted earlier, many of us are feeling helpless as we watch our friends Steve and Kristen go through this life-altering period. The only ways of support we can offer are by being there for his family in some way and perhaps by sharing some of the financial impact that this terrible condition has inflicted on Steve's family.
How You Can Help.
We have set a long-term fundraising goal of $100,000, knowing that costs will continue to rise month-after-month, year-after-year. We believe this is an achievable goal given the wide net social media allows us to leverage. Steve has engaged with, and been a part of, several communities; living in the towns of Amherst and Merrimack, NH, attending Milford Area Senior High (MASH) and Springfield College, and working at Fidelity Investments.
We hope that you will consider donating to this GoFundMe campaign so that we can collectively have a material impact on the lives of Kristen, Nick and Addie. Naturally, all funds raised by this campaign (aside from the administrative fees collected by GoFundMe) will go to Steve's family to assist in easing the financial impact that this terrible disorder has taken on his family. We are grateful you have read this - and will be even more grateful if you would forward this along to people who you believe may know Steve, Kristen and their family.
With our deepest gratitude for any contribution you can make,
Friends of Steve
Hello Friends,
As many of you may know, our mutual friend Steve was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (or Degeneration), also known as Frontal Lobe Dementia (FTD), over three years ago. There is no cure or medication that can delay FTD’s progression. FTD is different than Alzheimer’s; whereas symptoms of FTD typically appear between the ages of 40 – 65, Alzheimer’s generally occurs in persons over the age of 65.
There are approximately 60,000 reported cases of FTD in the U.S. The only treatment for FTD is considered palliative, or in other words, care remains focused on easing the symptoms. You can find additional information about Frontotemporal Dementia here: https://www.theaftd.org/what-is-ftd/disease-overview/. It is as cruel of a medical condition as any.
A little over two years ago, Steve took up residence at Avita Memory Care unit, a dedicated wing located within the independent and assisted living community of Ledgewood Bay in Milford, NH. Pre-COVID 19, Steve, always accompanied by family or friends, was a popular fixture in the hallways or property confines of Ledgewood Bay. Steve would greet staff and residents, always at a power-walker’s pace, as he made his frequent rounds - saying hello to just about everyone he encountered. Steve was a regular visitor to the common room within the memory care unit, watching tv with other residents of the unit. He lives in a suite he shares with another resident, and is able to dress and sleep in his own bedroom.
COVID 19 restrictions have severely limited guest visits to Ledgewood Bay. Resident activities have also been significantly impacted to mitigate the risk of staff-to-resident transmission. Sadly, Kristen, and their two children Nick (15) and Addie (12), are relegated to periodic “virtual” visits with Steve (with the exception of a brief period last summer where outdoor patio visitations were allowed).
As long-time childhood friends of Steve, many of us have been feeling helpless over these past years, and yet we are certainly unable to grasp the full emotional impact this has had on his entire family. And worse still, as Steve’s medical condition continues to progress unabated, the economic impact on his family will continue to grow as additional staff resources at Ledgewood Bay are required to care for Steve. At some future point, medical care for Steve will almost certainly necessitate him being admitted to a nursing home. This outcome will have an additional impact to the family, emotionally and financially.
The Financial Impact.
According to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, a study conducted in 2017 found that families with a member having FTD spend approximately $120,000 per year, nearly double the amount spent by families with patients who have Alzheimer’s. And because of the very nature of the disorder, and the timing of symptoms appearing much earlier in life, many who develop the condition do so within their prime earning years.
As noted earlier, many of us are feeling helpless as we watch our friends Steve and Kristen go through this life-altering period. The only ways of support we can offer are by being there for his family in some way and perhaps by sharing some of the financial impact that this terrible condition has inflicted on Steve's family.
How You Can Help.
We have set a long-term fundraising goal of $100,000, knowing that costs will continue to rise month-after-month, year-after-year. We believe this is an achievable goal given the wide net social media allows us to leverage. Steve has engaged with, and been a part of, several communities; living in the towns of Amherst and Merrimack, NH, attending Milford Area Senior High (MASH) and Springfield College, and working at Fidelity Investments.
We hope that you will consider donating to this GoFundMe campaign so that we can collectively have a material impact on the lives of Kristen, Nick and Addie. Naturally, all funds raised by this campaign (aside from the administrative fees collected by GoFundMe) will go to Steve's family to assist in easing the financial impact that this terrible disorder has taken on his family. We are grateful you have read this - and will be even more grateful if you would forward this along to people who you believe may know Steve, Kristen and their family.
With our deepest gratitude for any contribution you can make,
Friends of Steve
Organizer and beneficiary
Kristen McCarthy
Beneficiary