CLEVELAND — According to the CDC, Alzheimers is the most common type of dementia.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that starts with mild memory loss and could lead to the loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020, 5.8 million million Americans were living with this disease.
Sharon Berezne said she knows of this disease all too well because her father currently is suffering from it.
Now, she said she is doing everything in her power to raise awareness about the Alzheimer’s.
“Right now, with Alzheimer’s, he can’t speak for himself,” Berezne said. “That is one of the hardest parts of this disease.”
This year, on Father’s Day, Berezne will walk 18.5 miles from her home in Twinsburg all the way to her father’s house in Cleveland Heights as a part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s ’The Longest Day’ fundraiser.
“Part of why Alzheimer’s Association does this fundraiser so close to the day with the longest light is because people with Alzheimer’s feel like they are in the dark,” she said.
To get ready for her nearly 19 mile walk, Berezne said she has been training for several weeks. She said her father’s lifelong support helped guide her through the process.
“He has always been our biggest cheerleader,” she said. “He would always say we can do anything we set our mind to.”
During her walking journey, she has been raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association, hoping to find a cure for the next generation.
“To me, it’s one of the most important things on my mind right now,” she said.
Once finished with the walk, Berezne will enjoy a dinner with her mother and father at their home in Cleveland Heights.
