And I have no control over which yesterdays I keep and which ones get deleted. This disease will not be bargained with. I can’t offer it the names of the US presidents in exchange for the names of my children. I can’t give it the names of state capitals and keep the memories of my husband …My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment. Some tomorrow soon, I’ll forget that I stood before you and gave this speech. But just because I’ll forget it some tomorrow doesn’t mean that I didn’t live every second of it today. I will forget today, but that doesn’t mean that today doesn’t matter.
– Lisa Genova, Still Alice
We all have something to be thankful for, Thanksgiving reminds us of that. Every year on Thanksgiving we take this opportunity to acknowledge what we are thankful for – whether it is in acknowledgement of our friends, our family, our health or our accomplishments.
At the same time, Thanksgiving offers us all another thing, perspective. It gives us the context needed in order to truly give thanks – to consider the lives around us as we consider our own.
Today as you ponder what you are thankful for, we ask that you put the following into perspective.
In 2011, 747, 000 Canadians were living with cognitive impairment, including dementia – that’s 14.9% of Canadians 65 and older. By 2031, if nothing changes in Canada, this figure will increase to 1.4 million.¹
These numbers may not be part of your day-to-day thoughts, but we ask that today you consider them. Imagine forgetting every Thanksgiving dinner, every memory, every moment that has ever shaped your life.
They say our life is an accumulation of memories; if this is true, then Alzheimer’s disease strips those affected of an entire lifetime. This is a reality we may not always put into perspective but it is a daily reminder for those living with this disease.
So this Thanksgiving we ask that in addition to giving thanks, you also consider giving back. Please donate to our fundraising drive in support of the Alzheimer’s Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County and help support our fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
Here at Little Voice, we are truly thankful for your continued support. You have given us a platform to share our message, and in turn, we hope that our message has inspired you to find your own little voice to do the same.
We wish you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving and we sincerely thank you for following us along this special journey we call Little Voice.