Walking for Mom

OMAHA – When Lisa Kramer was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 53, her daughter Heather said her mom agonized over the same fear many facing Alzheimer’s and dementia ask themselves: “When am I going to start forgetting the people I love?” Lisa’s diagnosis came six years ago in 2020, although her family says they noticed symptoms years before they got an official diagnosis. It started with small things, such as saying that she needed to get gas after work but forgetting to stop or making several trips to the basement to get something and then forget why she went down there. One day, Heather said, her mom got lost driving home from work on the same route that she drove every weekday for 35 years. “We were devastated by the diagnosis,” said Lisa’s daughter Heather. “We knew it wasn’t reversible, but we wanted to know what we could do. I kicked into high gear. I did research about Alzheimer’s: What was it? How can it be treated? What can we do to stop the progression?” That fall after Lisa was diagnosed, the family participated in their first Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Omaha. Back then, her three grandchildren would call it “the brain walk;” now they call it “Mom Mom’s walk,” the nickname they gave their grandma. The three grandchildren are aware – perhaps more than the family would like – of the uphill battle their grandmother has faced with Alzheimer’s. But Heather said that Walk Day gives them a chance to spend quality time together and have fun. “The kids make bracelets, everyone’s in T-shirts, it’s loud, everyone’s having fun,” she said. And “Mom Mom” enjoys seeing the grandchildren having a great time, even if she wishes she wasn’t there for herself, Heather said. More than 1,500 people are expected to attend the Greater Omaha Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which takes place Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Flames Fieldhouse at College of Saint Mary, 7000 Mercy Road. Registration opens at 9 a.m., followed by a Promise Garden ceremony at 10:30 a.m., where walkers will carry flowers of various colors, each color representing their personal connection to the disease. “We have blue flowers for those living with dementia, purple in honor of those who have passed, yellow for caregivers, orange for our supporters, and then we close the ceremony with a single white flower to represent the hope for the first survivor,” said Walk Manager Christa Reason. More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, nearly 13 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Nebraska, there are more than 35,100 people living with the disease and 42,000 caregivers. “Our community is so supportive of helping families impacted by Alzheimer’s, and they help us put on a really fun event,” Reason said. “Legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Webber will be joining us as emcee to keep the energy up throughout the day, and we’ll have lots of activities in addition to walking. “We really want families to have a great time and put their challenges behind them for at least the morning.” Heather says her mom is still able to function with most tasks, but she does get sidetracked easily with even the slightest bit of interruption. “Multitasking has become a huge challenge,” she said. “She has tearful days where she really notices the changes, which is heartbreaking. Simple things to us, like scrolling through our phone to find something, or sending a text message, are becoming more difficult for her.” The family plans to be at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s again this year and surround Lisa with all of the people she loves that she worried about forgetting. “This is such an awful disease, but the Walk gives us a reason to smile with her,” Heather said.