Marcus & Deborah Anderson
Caregiver Spotlight
Marcus and I met in high school and reconnected after he sustained a neck injury playing college football in his senior year. We built a life together, raising two sons. In 2016, while job hunting, I noticed Marcus struggling to articulate his career experience. In April 2017, our primary physician referred Marcus to a neuropsychologist who found subtle cognitive changes. Immediately after, I found a neurologist who worked exclusively with Alzheimer’s patients to rule out the possibility of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Marcus was officially diagnosed with Young-Onset Alzheimer’s at 54, likely due to the football injury. By 2021, his decline required full-time care, leading us to Dallas for better resources. Now in memory care, Marcus has lost speech but remains physically strong. I cherish caring for him, finding love in his eyes and smile, and supporting others on this journey.
GALA 2025
Each donation is an essential help for caregivers, their families and medical research
- With Almost 5 Million Americans Living With It, Alzheimer's Disease Is The 6th Leading Cause Of Death In The United States
- 250,000 - 300,000 Develop Symptoms Before Age 65, Also Known As Young-Onset Alzheimer's. By 2050, This Number Is Projected To Rise To Nearly 850,000
- Most People With Young-Onset Alzheimer's Develop Symptoms When They Are Between 30 - 60 Years Old
- More Than 16 Million Americans Provide Unpaid Care For People With Alzheimer's Or Other Dementias
- These Caregivers Provided An Estimated 18.6 Billion Hours Of Care Valued At Nearly $244 Billion
THE SEVEN STAGES OF
YOUNG-ONSET ALZHEIMER'S (YOAD)
First discovered in 1906, Early-onset Alzheimer’s, also known as Younger-onset Alzheimer’s, is a rare form of Alzheimer’s that attacks the young, those under the age of 65. It’s rare for early onset Alzheimer’s to develop in people who are between 30 and 50 years of age and women are more than twice as likely to develop it, than men.
The system of stages developed by Dr. Barry Reisberg breaks the progression of Younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease into seven stages. This framework for understanding the progression of the disease has been adopted and used by the Alzheimer’s Association.
Click to ‘Learn More’ about a detailed summary of Young-Onset Alzheimer’s.
Spotlight Programs
Our Caregiver Spotlight program focused on Caregivers and families afflicted with Young-Onset Alzheimer's. We provide grants, and other forms of assistance, including advocacy, Resources, Education and Support to our Caregivers and their families, in their time of need.
Our Partner Spotlight Program an innovative partnership between local businesses and We Walk This Together, designed to support caregivers and families while delivering mutual benefits. Through this partnership, businesses provide discounted essential resources.
