Katie Transue
kat003@marietta.edu
Madison Royer remembers going on walks and sharing cookies-and-cream Hershey’s bars with her great grandmother. These are just some of the many memories she has of her great grandmother before she passed away due to Alzheimer’s.
On Sept. 6, Royer and her sorority, Sigma Kappa, supported the cause at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Parkersburg, W. Va. The sorority raised over $1,300 for the cause.
“My favorite part was when each person got a flower representing whether they had Alzheimer’s, if they were caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or if they were just there to support the cause,” sophomore Becky Burkhart said. “It was humbling to see that every color flower was represented.”
Junior Marge Price, also a Sigma Kappa, said that the fun part for her was seeing families get into the walk. Some were dressed in purple suits and tutus. Price enjoyed seeing families embracing happier times while taking care of their loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s.
At the opening ceremony of the walk, a woman named Lish told her story of losing her grandmother to Alzheimer’s – a story Royer really connected with. Lish remembered walking with her “sweet as can be” grandmother and fighting with her siblings over who could hold Grandma’s hand. But as the disease took over, Lish watched her sweet grandmother forget who she was and forget who her granddaughter was as well.
“Every other disease is really bad but those people still remember who you are,” Royer said. “When you’re trying to take care of someone with Alzheimer’s, you’re taking care of a loved one who’s fighting you the whole time, which makes it ten times harder.”
There are many similar stories across the U.S. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. The disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and kills more than both breast and prostate cancer put together.
Sigma Kappa supports the fight against Alzheimer’s nationwide. Marietta College’s chapter of Sigma Kappa will continue their fight this semester through small service projects on campus. They hold philanthropy events such as Paint-a-Kappa and the Ultra Violet Riot in which all of the proceeds go towards the Sigma Kappa Foundation and are distributed to the Alzheimer’s Association and the sorority’s four other philanthropies.
