Eight years Kim Auger received a diagnosis neither she nor her family could ever imagine.
Auger was told she had early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She was just 50 years old with a teenage son.
The news was devastating.
Her sister Dawn Lamoureux said while there is a family history of dementia, there is no history of Alzheimer’s.
“When she was diagnosed at 50 it was quite a shock. In her late forties, she started to experience difficulties at work, so she had to retire early,” said Lamoureux.
On Sunday, Auger’s family joined her for the annual IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s.
“This walk will help with research. I’m proud of my sister to be able to continue this walk, and we try and support it as much as we can. Hopefully, we can find a cure for my sister so that we can keep her with us for as long as possible,” said Lamoureux.
“She likes to partake in a lot of events at the Alzheimer Society, and the support program they provide us all with is wonderful. They have so many programs that are interactive with clients that have dementia issues. The support for counselling and the fact it is free of charge means people can come forward and get as much help as possible.”
Justin Rancourt and his family also had a personal reason to join the walk.
“My grandmother got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s recently and it was important that we come out and support the cause, and hopefully find a cure one day.”
Before the diagnosis, Rancourt knew very little about the disease.
“Alzheimer’s is a hard disease and it is sad to see people going through it.”
Linda Brown of the Alzheimer Society of Sudbury-Manitoulin and North Bay and Districts explains that the society provides programs and support services for both the individual and loved ones.
“All monies raised locally remains in the community. So, it supports all our health promotion programs such as our art program, cooking classes, day programs, education, and support. Everything we do the money helps support that,” said Brown.
“You take a look at dementia as being the umbrella, and under the umbrella, you have different types of dementia. So Alzheimer’s is the most common one. There is a large number of different types of dementia.”
The IG Walk for Alzheimer’s is one of the societies national fundraisers, which raises over $5 million across Canada.
Held in over 300 communities, it is the largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
In the Nipissing District, roughly 1,500 people have been diagnosed with dementia.
