Homepage
Alzheimer’s Memory Walk
Related Photos
-
John and Karen Wallace take a break during their walk from Marquette, Michigan to Biloxi, Mississippi
Discussion
Add a comment on this storyTools
John and Karen Wallace raise awareness of a life affecting disease
John and Karen Wallace have been running from Marquette, Mich., to Biloxi to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease that affects many families all over the U.S. Alzheimer’s affects one in 10 individuals over age 65 and nearly half of those over 85.
The Wallaces are trying get the public to become aware of a new program that was launched in Marquette that will help aid Alzheimer’s patients.
“In Marquette, the Sheriff’s Department and the Alzheimer’s association have partnered to implement what’s called the Marquette County Life Tracker program that will enable rescue teams to track down people who have wandered off and gotten lost. This is done by registering people and giving them a personalized wristband that will send out a tracking signal every second of every day,” John Wallace said.
The signal can be tracked in the air or on the ground for several miles.
He said that it’s a great program because individuals suffering from the disease often wander off and get lost. In fact more than half of the people suffering from Alzheimer’s will wander and become lost at some point.
John and Karen Wallace got involved in this awareness campaign because of their own personal experiences.
“My wife works in a nursing home and she was exposed quite a bit to people with Alzheimer’s. It’s become something that’s near and dear to her now, and I’ve also had some association with it myself,” John Wallace said. “On our trip, almost everyone we’ve met knows someone or has someone in their family who suffers from Alzheimer’s.”
Wallace hopes that more communities would implement the Life Tracker program as he feels it’s a vital need for people dealing with Alzheimer’s.
After spending the night here in Meridian on Saturday, they picked up their memory walk and run Sunday at 8 a.m. headed in the direction of Quitman.
If you suspect a friend or loved one possibly has early signs of Alzheimer’s, you may take these symptoms into consideration.
Common Symptoms
• Memory Loss
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks
• Problems with language
• Disorientation to time and place
• Poor or decreased judgment
• Problems with abstract thinking
• Misplacing things
• Changes in mood or behavior
• Changes in personality
• Loss of initiative
For more information on Alzheimer’s disease or the Wallace’s memory walk, you can visit their Web site: togetherwerun.com.
- Local News
-
The lead singer of The Young Guns, Brandon Closson, age 14, sings with the voice of an experienced vocalist. The band played before the Super Bowl on Sunday at the Temple Theater.
-
Fans show team spirit at Temple viewing of Super Bowl XLIV
The smell of hot nachos and cold beer is all around you. You can see beads of sweat falling from Peyton Manning's brow as he hurls the ball. The voice of the announcer booms on the loudspeakers.
- Star of The Week: Megan Mowdy
- Arbor Day program set for Tuesday
- 4-H leader is driving force behind community service
- 4-H leader is driving force behind community service
-
Fans show team spirit at Temple viewing of Super Bowl XLIV
- Sports
-
-
Knight-marish Ending
West Lauderdale held its own through the first 40 minutes of play Saturday only to have its title dream shot down by St. Stanislaus.
SSC exploded in the second half to capture its third title in eight years in the Class 4A State Soccer Championship, downing the Knights 5-0 on a bone-chilling, windy morning. - MCC women roll past Delgado
- MHS overcomes slow start
- Men at work
- Area Roundup: Newton girls rally past visiting Quitman
-
Knight-marish Ending
- Meridian 360
- Columns
-
-
A Terrorist’s Bill of Rights?
The jurisdiction struggle over where the trial of Abdulmutallab, the Christmas Day airline bomber, should be held reveals the underlying fallacy of the Obama Administration’s efforts to try terrorists in civilian courts.
- Uh oh, an idea was committed
- It’s been a long time coming!
- Calm down — don’t get paranoid
- More guts than sense. …
-
A Terrorist’s Bill of Rights?
- Obituaries
