2 weeks Ago By Ellie Pessenda
I was 15 when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 70. Over the past five years, I have seen the impact of this disease on my family, watching a loved one slowly lose their ability to do things they used to do with ease. For me, this was talking with her.
As the disease progresses, communication becomes difficult, so I’ve had to learn new ways to communicate. This experience helped lead me to pursue an internship at the Alzheimer’s Association. ADVERTISEMENT Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health crisis in the United States.
My grandmother is one of 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, a number expected to grow to 13 million by 2050. Recent scientific breakthroughs offer hope for better detecting, preventing, and treating this devastating disease, including two FDA-approved drugs to slow the early stages. Congressional action is needed to stay on the path to discovering scientific breakthroughs.
I urge Rep. Pete Stauber to support an additional $113 million in research funding through the National Institutes of Health for fiscal year 2026. This increase would allow the institute to accelerate investing in collaborations to speed discovery, in groundbreaking prevention trials, and in testing new therapeutics.
The Alzheimer's Association of Minnesota and North Dakota offers free resources for people affected by this disease. Visit alz.org/mnnd or call the 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900 for support.
Ellie Pessenda Duluth Email submissions to: [email protected] Include a full name, address and daytime phone number. Only names and hometowns will be published.
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