The first signs are often subtle, almost unnoticeable-a forgotten word, a repeated phrase, a confused stare. The symptoms gradually escalate into drastic mood swings and a loss of the ability to perform everyday tasks.

For Joyce Boone and her family,her episodes began in the most benign ways back in 2014. Joyce’s youngest son, Sheldon Hudlin, recalls, “We noticed that when Mom spoke, she’d become forgetful, but we chalked it up to her age. Then she beganhidingher belongings,likeherpurseor keys.”Joyce would evenconcoctveryvivid stories, talltales that her family knew to be untrue. She would also become increasingly anxious and frustrated throughout the day.

“There would be days when she would not quite recognize who we were;something was turning our mother into someone else entirely.That really made me and my family become emotionally exhausted and broken.

”In 2016,Joyce was diagnosed with dementia, and, needless to say,the diagnosis came as a complete shock to her family. “At first we were confused,”recalls Sheldon.

“Our family was still unfamiliar with the disease, and we only viewed our mother as the happy, energetic woman she’d always been. She was so full of life, and she was healthier than anyone we knew.When she started to decline, it just didn’t seem possible.”

Although Sheldon and his family were shocked, the statistics weren’t in Joyce’s favor. Among black American aged 70 and older, over 20% are living with some type of dementia. Blacks are also twice as likely as whites to have the disease. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease,a progressive illness that causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die. It is the most common cause of dementia, and nearly two thirds of Americans suffering with Alzheimer’s are women.Of the 55 million people with dementia worldwide, nearly 70% are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease.

As was the case with Joyce, milder symptoms of the disease incrementally start to appear after age 70, buteventuallytheygrow severe enough to interfere with performing basic daily tasks. The symptoms can include with drawing from social activities, misplacing objects, difficulty in speaking and writing, as well as changes in mood.

Sheldon felt that he needed to learn more about his mother’s illness, so when a friend asked him to join the Walk to End Alzheimer's, a fundraising event,in 2017, he jumped at the chance.“I really wanted to help raise awareness of this disease while generating funds to fight it,mainly for my mom.”The walk turned out to be one of the biggest fundraisers for the local Alzheimer’s Association.

The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization related to Alzheimer's care. The group’s ultimate goal is to put an end to the disease and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. The organization works on both national and local levels to provide care and support for all those affected by Alzheimer's as well as other dementias.In 2023,for example,the Association invested a record-breaking$100 million in research initiatives.

In April of 2018 Sheldon got the call that he always expected but never wanted. “My mom was found unresponsive. When I got there, she looked so peaceful. I was emotionally broken, but I knew my mother was now healed.”

Later that year, Sheldon had become so immersed in the cause that he became the Committee Chair for the organization’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s for all of central Georgia. “I took the lead on getting sponsorships as well as volunteers to make it our largest fundraiser. I helped coordinate with local businesses and individuals to help donate to our cause.”

Although extremely tragic,his mother’s passing served as the impetus for Sheldon’s work with the Alzheimer’s Association.“I’ve always been a ‘Momma’s boy,’ so I didn’t want anyone else to feel as helpless as I did when my mother was diagnosed. Because of what she went through, I now use my voice to make Alzheimer’s not only a local buta national priority.”

Sheldon began to use social media as well as his own company to get the word out.Sheldon even changed the logo of his company First Class Cleaning Service to include a purple ribbon and hashtag in honor of his late mother. Sheldon also received extensive training as an educator by the Alzheimer’s Association to spread the word throughout the community.“I would speak at local churches and businesses to make our cause a priority.”

In August of 2023, Sheldon became part of the Board of Directors for the Georgia chapter of Association.“We take the local concerns and put it on a state wide scale.” As a board member, Sheldon is now part of the decision-making process in terms of marketing, advocacy, budget as well as logistics and fundraising. He has also served on Walk to End Alzheimer's committee for the last 7 years and currently serves as the 2024 Chair. The Macon office hosts the Walk every year to raise awareness of the disease. The next Walk is slated for October 19, 2024 at the Middle Georgia College State campus.

Sheldon recently attended 2024 Community Leadership Summit as well as the AIM (Alzheimer's Impact Movement)Advocacy Forum 2024 in Washington D.C. in order to advocate for legislation that would make the Alzheimer’s Association a national priority. “The trip was very successful,”he says with a smile. “Congressmen and senators were very receptive to our needs.”

In addition, Sheldon created and grew an Alzheimer’s Facebook group to over 20,000 members, dedicated to and inspired by his mother. “More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, which kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined,” explains Sheldon somberly. “This awful disease has been near and dear to my heart, so I just have to keep fighting (it) in my mother’s memory. I truly think it has given me a real purpose.”

To learn more about Alzheimer’s Association, visit their website atalz.orgor call their hotline at 1-800-272-3900.