Alzheimer's disease currently affects almost 7 million people in America. It is devastating not only for those diagnosed but also their families. Alzheimer's is currently the 7th leading cause of death in the US, but only about 5% of Alzheimer's sufferers are diagnosed before age 60, or what is known as "early onset". Sadly, my father Duane Reynolds is one of the 5%. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2021 at the age of 57 years old after over two years of cognitive decline.

There isn't enough time or space on this website for me to properly illustrate all the ways my father has made a difference, not only in my life but in the community both near and far. Since 1998, my father has dedicated his life to working for Boys & Girls Clubs. After 10 years of honorable service in the United States Marine Corps, he found his calling working at the Boys & Girls Club of Carteret County. Working with youth came naturally to him. He was a dedicated father and youth sports coach, and the leadership skills he learned in the military served him exceptionally well. Over the course of his career he built relationships with thousands of youth and families. He served as a mentor and father figure for any child who needed one, and often did the same for the employees of the Club. After 20 years of service to the local organization, he accepted a position with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and provided support for Club organizations from all over the Southeastern US. From setting a great example of a dutiful Christian husband and father, leading in the church, coaching youth sports, serving on nonprofit boards, and simply being everything a man should be, he is the ultimate blueprint for character and integrity.

Our family took the news of my dad's diagnosis extremely hard. My parents have been married since November 1st, 1985 and we have always been extremely tight knit. My brother, sister and I have always been able to count on our dad to be there for us whenever we needed him , and we had the kind of childhood many people aren't blessed to have. We never had the biggest house or nicest clothes, but we were the happiest family I knew. My parents put all their effort into loving each other and us. We genuinely loved and liked each other growing up and now we remain closer than ever. Our father is the backbone of our family and in many ways, a backbone of our entire community. But this diagnosis took the one thing he loved most besides our family: his work.

There is no good time for a wife and family to get this kind of news, but it was especially difficult for us to receive it just a few weeks after my maternal grandmother died from cancer, and just as life was beginning to return to normal after the difficult early days of the pandemic. We knew that with dad needing to retire immediately, there would be a large financial burden for his care, as dementia eventually robs individuals of their ability to speak, swallow, and care for themselves. When he was first diagnosed, dad had to stay home alone, since my mom needed to work full time to make sure they had health insurance. We immediately applied for disability to replace a portion of his income as his doctors advised that he could no longer work or drive. His disability application was denied. Eventually we had to hire a lawyer and it took a year and a half to get his application approved.

Now, four years later, the time has come where dad is no longer safe at home alone all day while my mom works. He has left home on foot while unattended and been lost in town for several hours despite our system of cameras and tracking devices. Thankfully, our friends and local police department have helped us find him before he suffered any major injuries or catastrophe.

My mom has handled this entire situation with more strength than I could have ever imagined. The future she and my dad have worked hard and saved for is no longer possible. The person she has built a life with is still here physically, but she no longer has the dependable and adoring husband who took exceptional care of her in every way for over 35 years.

Our family has exhausted all options we have to balance his needs with all of us working full time. My sister is a public school teacher, so her daytime hours are not flexible. My mom has exhausted all her paid sick leave and FMLA. In April 2025, I accepted deferred resignation from my federal job and began staying home with my dad full time. My mom will be taking from her limited retirement fund to pay for my expenses while I care for my dad full time, and she has already accumulated debt having to pay out of pocket for home health care. As he continues to decline, we know that he will need a more advanced level of care than any of us can provide alone.

I know that my dad has meant a lot to so many people over the years. He has worked extremely hard his entire life, impacting thousands, and if you know him you know he is a proud man who would rather give the shirt off his back than accept anything from anyone. If you are able to support us in getting the care he needs I and the rest of our family would be forever grateful. Any funds donated will be used to pay for my dad's needs and respite care for my mom in times my sister and I aren't able to cover.