May 8, 2021 By Mike Kruzman & Jon King /news@whmi.com
Registration is open for an annual walk to help raise awareness of and fight a brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills, and a co-chair of the event is sharing his inspiration for taking part.
The Walk to End Alzheimerâs is the Alzheimerâs Associationâs largest fundraiser of the year. Money raised supports free educational programming, support groups, 1-on-1 care consultation, and their 24/7 helpline. In its 11th year locally, the Walk is moving forward with plans to host the October 2nd event in person, while continuing to monitor the pandemic and make decisions for the health and safety of everyone as needed.
May 6, 2021 By Jessica Mathews & Jon King / News@whmi.com
Since Alzheimerâs and dementia arenât stopping, neither is a Brighton businesswoman who lost both of her parents to the disease.
Both of Barb Binkley s parents, Bob and Liz Laughery, succumbed to dementia and that experience has now energized her to raise try and awareness about what calls a horrible disease. She lost her mother in 2013 and then her father five years later.
Binkley, who along with her husband Mark owns Cooper & Binkley Jewelers in Downtown Brighton, says her mother was the first exposure in the family and the disease affected her parents in very different ways. Like many others, she said she didnât know what to expect and was suddenly making decisions for her mother while serving as a primary caregiver.