Welcome! We hope you have found this page because of your support of friends, love of fun events or are curious about Mahjong!!
Unfortunately, you may be here because you love someone with the brutal disease of Alzheimer’s and/or Frontotemporal Dementia. When Jordan’s mom was diagnosed, their family was told it was so RARE, and yet, within a single neighborhood she has connected with several other families going through a strikingly similar journey. Going just beyond the neighborhood, she has found story after story of heartbreaking loss as a result of dementia. Brain disease can be isolating for the individual and the caregivers. By bringing awareness of current research and new information to light, we hope to help eliminate the negative stigma for brain disease. Research shows that the brain is building tangles and plaque that can lead to dementia about 10 years before the onset of symptoms. For many of us… that life stage is NOW.
The ability to diagnose is becoming more accurate and the medicine to reduce or delay symptoms is becoming more effective, however there is still NO cure. Prevention is also being heavily studied, but all of this takes funding and participation.
Jordan, Christine, Robin, Meredith, Ashley & Annabelle are united in supporting research for a cure and methods of prevention all while having a fun. Alzheimer’s and FTD have provided enough grief and sadness to last a lifetime, so we want to bring some joy to this tragic disease! The three of us are wives and moms and living the daily grind of carpools, activities, jobs and meals. As tough as the ups and downs of adulthood may be, we want to ensure that we ALL have the opportunity to live out our “golden years” full of memories and functionality. Join us for one of our Pre-Party Mahjong events or at the Fabulously FUN and 80s Themed Party in November!!
Mom – FTD/Early On Set Alzheimer’s Age of Onset – 49
At age 49, my mom was at the peak of her family, career and health. She was surrounded by friends and family and loved to laugh. As she entered her late 40s she began to stutter and lose her words. In the years to follow she would begin a slow (and yet rapid at times) mental decline. The suffering she endured from Frontotemporal Dementia (PPA), and later reported as early on set Alzheimer’s, was agonizing to watch. My mom was robbed of her dignity to participate as a functional adult. She was not able to communicate, care for herself nor had any awareness of her loved ones. Watching her regress from an educated, achieved and connected wife and mother to a feeble, fully dependent shell of herself was unbearable and yet unavoidable.
Providing care for someone living with dementia is exhausting and thankless. My dad was her primary caregiver and he mentioned on several occasions that the intensity and stress of caring for her might give him a heart attack.
I want to avoid this disease for myself and my children and reduce the potential burden for my family and anyone else’s!
Aunt Linda – FTD Age of Onset – mid 40s
After losing my mother to ovarian cancer at an early age, my Aunt Linda promptly stepped into a maternal role. She always had a fun loving, spunky, outgoing personality. While she was known for her quirky demeanor, our family noticed an undeniable reduction in social skills overtime. Dementia isn’t a disease you think of affecting a youthful, healthy woman in the prime of her life. After many years of memory loss and cognitive decline, she was diagnosed with FTD. The daily caretaking of a family member with FTD is insurmountable.
My cousins, uncle, extended family, and caretakers showed unwavering strength and even humor while my aunt slipped away to this horrendous disease. After her passing, I learned a few of my close neighbors also had family members affected by FTD. Together we hope to bring awareness and raise funds for research for a cure and caretaker support.
Mom – Alzheimer’s – Age of Onset mid 60s
Grandmother – Alzheimer’s – Age of Onset mid 70s
Dad – Caregiver – passed away due to stress from caring for his wife
We witnessed our grandmother, Meme, succumb to Alzheimer’s in 2018. History repeated itself, with our mom, Jonette. In 2013, we noticed odd behavior from our mom. We would call her on our way home from work. Mom wasn’t making sense, but we wrote it off as she was tired as she was caring for our grandmother or maybe she had indulged in a glass of wine. Eventually, the signs became undeniable and she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018. Our parents moved from Dallas to Houston in 2020, so we could help our dad take care of her. Unexpectedly, our dad, Mike, passed away in May 2023. We believe the emotional and physical stress of being mom’s caregiver significantly contributed to our dad’s passing, as statistics show that 1 in 3 caregivers say their health has gotten worse due to their responsibilities and 25% have delayed taking care of their health. In September 2023, our mom passed away from Alzheimer’s.
Anyone who has loved someone with Alzheimer’s knows that it’s a cruel thief robbing friends and family of their loved one with no cure. Knowing that our mom had the Alzheimer’s gene and that we have a chance of inheriting this horrible disease, we are channeling our energy to raise funds to help find a cure.
Unfortunately, I am no stranger to dementia and all of the complex layers that come with it. My maternal grandparents both passed away from dementia, and my mother stepped up as caregiver to ensure they lived out vulnerable years with the utmost dignity. The toll caregiving takes on a person is extreme, and it is something I am passionate about raising awareness for. My mother was (and still is!) superwoman to me as she cared for her parents with love and respect. She was their advocate as dementia stripped them of their independence.
