Published: September 16, 2007 11:35 pm      

Alzheimer’s Memory Walk

John and Karen Wallace raise awareness of a life affecting disease

John and Karen Wallace have been running from Marquette, Mich., to Biloxi to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease that affects many families all over the U.S. Alzheimer’s affects one in 10 individuals over age 65 and nearly half of those over 85.

The Wallaces are trying get the public to become aware of a new program that was launched in Marquette that will help aid Alzheimer’s patients.

“In Marquette, the Sheriff’s Department and the Alzheimer’s association have partnered to implement what’s called the Marquette County Life Tracker program that will enable rescue teams to track down people who have wandered off and gotten lost. This is done by registering people and giving them a personalized wristband that will send out a tracking signal every second of every day,” John Wallace said.

The signal can be tracked in the air or on the ground for several miles.

He said that it’s a great program because individuals suffering from the disease often wander off and get lost. In fact more than half of the people suffering from Alzheimer’s will wander and become lost at some point.

John and Karen Wallace got involved in this awareness campaign because of their own personal experiences.

“My wife works in a nursing home and she was exposed quite a bit to people with Alzheimer’s. It’s become something that’s near and dear to her now, and I’ve also had some association with it myself,” John Wallace said. “On our trip, almost everyone we’ve met knows someone or has someone in their family who suffers from Alzheimer’s.”

Wallace hopes that more communities would implement the Life Tracker program as he feels it’s a vital need for people dealing with Alzheimer’s.

After spending the night here in Meridian on Saturday, they picked up their memory walk and run Sunday at 8 a.m. headed in the direction of Quitman.

If you suspect a friend or loved one possibly has early signs of Alzheimer’s, you may take these symptoms into consideration.

Common Symptoms

• Memory Loss

• Difficulty performing familiar tasks

• Problems with language

• Disorientation to time and place

• Poor or decreased judgment

• Problems with abstract thinking

• Misplacing things

• Changes in mood or behavior

• Changes in personality

• Loss of initiative

For more information on Alzheimer’s disease or the Wallace’s memory walk, you can visit their Web site: togetherwerun.com.