Hundreds in Southwestern Ontario walk to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society
Tony Paul had a hard time putting words together when speaking about his late wife Susan.
Paul was one of hundreds in four locations in Southwestern Ontario walking to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society Southwest, which helped him through his journey before Susan passed away less than two years ago.
“It lasted about 10 years,” says Paul.
“She was very young, 67, when she passed away. So it was gradual at first and then took a real down spike near the end for the last couple of years.”
Paul and his team raised $12,000 as part of the $150,000 the society was hoping to raise by the end of the annual walk.
“It’s important to keep the program's going for 13,000 people in this vicinity that are in need of support for Alzheimer's and other dementia,” says Paul.
There is no cure as of yet, and each year they hope to gain ground, but find the disease is more complicated than originally thought.
“We've got you know, 500,00-750,000 Canadians with dementia now,” says Dr. Stephen Pasternak, a cognitive neurologist at Parkwood Hospital in London, Ont.
Pasternak believes there will be close to a million people living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia in the near future, and doesn’t believe the hospital system is ready.
“We have nice places in London (that) have multi-year waiting lists. Our medical system is already overwhelmed,” he said. “We desperately need to have some sort of treatment that actually helps. And we have treatments that help a little bit. We can take some of the edges off, but we don't actually have anything that can fix anyone.”
Pasternak says the disease affects not only the patient, but their families and caregivers.
He’s excited to be taking part in the walk, and seeing programs return because COVID has been devastating for patients who lost services.
“It's been more devastating for caregivers who have had all of the all of the escapes shut down,” says Pasternak.
“A patient and a caregiver like literally have nothing to do and they are locked together. And so you know the incredible mental health strain on caregivers has just been unbelievable.”
Those wishing to donate to the walk can do so here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit natural gas levies to the federal government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer filled with relief and grief following acquittal in death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
North Bay doctor accused of assaulting patient, threatening another
A North Bay doctor is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a patient with a weapon and threatening another person at the hospital, police say.