Wali Ali's Magic Place and Care Fund

Hello Friends,

We hope this finds you all well and flourishing amidst the various restrictions of the current world situation but with growing opportunities for in-person connections with friends and family members. As his family we’re writing to let you know about beloved teacher, guide and friend to so many, Wali Ali Meyer. We’re sad to inform you that Wali Ali was diagnosed with dementia last year. It is a cruel disease with no cure. As his condition continues to decline we find ourselves searching for how to best care for him. His needs are becoming more complicated and so we’re reaching out to our larger community for your help.

Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life. It’s caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that's damaged, dementia can affect people differently and cause different symptoms.

The cognitive changes are memory loss, which is usually noticed by someone else, difficulty communicating or finding words, difficulty with visual and spatial abilities, difficulty reasoning or problem-solving, difficulty handling complex and eventually simple tasks, difficulty with planning and organizing, difficulty with coordination and motor functions, confusion and disorientation. The psychological changes involve personality, depression, anxiety, agitation, hallucinations.

Wali Ali is suffering from many of these symptoms. While there is currently no cure for dementia keeping the brain active and engaged helps to slow the progression of the disease and gives patients longer quality of life. The last year has brought challenges for everyone and the lockdowns and closures due to the pandemic have impacted the ability to get Wali involved in therapeutic activities outside of the home. He is not able to initiate activity on his own at this point so most of the interests that used to hold his attention simply don’t anymore. The lack of outside stimulus has had a negative effect on his cognitive abilities.

Sabura has extensively researched different avenues of care and support for Wali Ali and has found a dementia enrichment day-program at the Institute on Aging in San Francisco. With the Bay Area re-opening slowly the program has recently resumed operations and Wali Ali has just begun attending. It has been transformative for him. After taking a tour and having him do try-out day it was clear that he could benefit greatly from the program. He calls it “The Magic Place” and that’s how we now refer to it. Held in a quiet section of Golden Gate Park in a building with floor to ceiling windows, lots of natural light, views of the park, and outdoor space to walk in, the program runs from 9:30 - 2:30 daily and serves 15 - 25 folks at a time with ample skilled staff on duty for one-on-one conversation and assistance. There is transportation to and from the facility, a hot lunch, games, therapeutic exercises, ping-pong, music and “classes” on various topics designed to stimulate cognitive function and spark the memory neuron pathways that are still functional. Sabura has been told how much everyone enjoys having him there, how his warm smile lights up the room.

He’s been attending for a couple of weeks now and has started asking on the weekends and days he’s not there whether he’ll be going that day. Many of the participants are now regular subjects of conversation at home. We hope he will attend 3-4 days a week, giving him 15-20 hrs of focused care and attention. Having seen the happiness in Wali Ali on the days he goes to the program Sabura and Murali, both, are confident that this is the right next step. The program is not covered by any insurance and the cost of it combined with the myriad extra expenses associated with care for his declining health overall makes it financially unsustainable.

We don’t know how long he will be in a condition to attend this program but he is currently able to fully benefit from it. As time progresses, Sabura and his doctors will continue to evaluate next steps including the possibility of in-home type care or nursing.

For now, the program offers Wali some much needed enrichment and a sense of purpose and focus in a nurturing and stimulating environment. It also provides Sabura and Murali an opportunity to tend to the day to day details at home as well as directing attention and energy toward Murali’s move to college in September.

Thank you for your gift of love and for your thoughts and prayers and thank you for joining us in reaching our initial GoFundMe goal of $25,000. This will relieve some of the current and upcoming financial burden brought on by Wali Ali’s declining condition.

Would you like to help? Are you interested in organizing an event or live fundraiser in your area? Please reach out to Daisy or Amina by leaving a message for either of them here on the GoFundMe message board.

Toward the one. The perfection of love, harmony and beauty. The spirit of guidance.