I often espouse the wonder, imagination and power of science. Science has measurably made the world a better place, giving us longer and more comfortable lives (Lifespans have doubled in just 200 years). I believe that science is the most reliable process we have for doing pretty much anything in this world. Science is not perfect, nor does it have all the answers, but it is self-correcting as better evidence becomes available.
In some situations science has, in a way, created problems. With longer lifespans we get more instances of things like cancer and other debilitating and awful diseases that didn’t have time to take hold in our shorter lifespans. One of these diseases is Alzheimer’s, a disease that slowly (and sometimes quickly) erodes a person’s brain. They no longer remember the things that were once commonplace: how to do simple tasks, hold a conversation, or even the faces of their loved ones. This disease is harder on the loved ones than the individual with the disease because after a while they don’t even know that they don’t know. It is a terrible, awful and very real disease.
My father-in-law has Alzheimer’s. I didn’t even get to know him very well until this disease had already started to plague his brain. He sounds like a wonderful person from the stories that my wife has told me and I wish I could’ve gotten to know him earlier in his life.
What does all this have to do with my beard? Well, I passionately believe that the only place that a cure for Alzheimer’s will come from is as the result of scientific research. So, I’m pledging to walk in the Walk for the Cure for Alzheimer’s that is raising money for research to eliminate Alzheimer’s. The link below is to my wife’s account as we are a team in this endeavor. If we reach $1000, I will dye my beard purple, as this is the “official” color of the Alzheimer’s movement. Please consider donating to this cause, as many are already dealing with it and that number is expected to grow.
–Too long, didn’t read: Help us reach $1000 towards Alzheimer’s research, and I will dye my beard purple for the Alzheimer’s walk and wear it that color for at least a week.
Here is the donation link: http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2014/AZ-DesertSouthwest?px=9501162&pg=personal&fr_id=4933