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Patterson has a long
family history of Alzheimer’s disease. Her grandfather had
the disease, and of her mother’s nine sisters, six passed
away with Alzheimer’s or dementia and three are currently
living with the disease. Patterson’s father, Matthew, also
passed away from the disease. “At that time, it didn’t occur
to any of us that this was a disease,” Patterson says. “Once
I began to look more closely, I realized there was more to
it. It really hit home once my mother developed the
disease.”
According to the
Alzheimer’s Association, there are currently more than 5
million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth
leading cause of death in the U.S. Disproportionately
impacting African Americans, older African Americans are
twice as likely as older white Americans to develop the
disease.
By the time Patterson
realized her mother was showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s, she
was already in the late stages. “Her doctor said that it was
just normal aging, but I knew there was more going on --
something was obviously very wrong.”
Patterson, a high school
biology teacher, retired early to be a full-time caregiver
for her mother. Frustrated with the lack of information and
support services available, she reached out to the
Alzheimer’s Association where she was able to learn about
the disease and access needed resources like respite care.
After Patterson’s mother
passed away, she made it her mission to educate others about
the disease and end the cycle within her family. She started
volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Association’s, meeting
with physicians serving rural and minority populations,
sharing information about the importance of early detection
and diagnosis and making resources available to those living
with the disease. Since her mother’s diagnosis, she has
earned a Master’s degree in Public Health and is working
towards a Doctorate of Public Health.
Currently, Patterson is
enrolled in a clinical trial. She aims to overcome the
stigma related to such research within the African-American
community. African Americans and other ethnic minorities are
vastly underrepresented in these trials, limiting what
researchers can learn.
“There is still a fear of
participating in studies, which is understandable when you
think about the history with terrible, unethical trials like
Tuskegee,” Patterson says. “But I wanted to be the one to
say look – I’m doing this, and it’s okay.”
Patterson says she’s come
a long way from “accepting” the disease as her family’s
destiny and is encouraging other African Americans to do the
same.
“We need to raise
awareness about African Americans’ increased risk for
Alzheimer’s and encourage participation in research that can
help us understand the reasons behind it. I now look at
Alzheimer’s as a disease that can be cured,” says Patterson.
Courtesy StatePoint |
