Spectrum News 1 SoCal visits Racing to End Alzheimer’s during Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
During Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month in June, we were excited to invite reporter Amy Paffrath to the Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles to talk with Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder Phil Frengs about our mission and more. During the segment, which aired on Spectrum News 1 SoCal, Phil and Amy discussed the importance of Alzheimer’s research and how our organization is helping fund the cure to Alzheimer’s.
In June, many Alzheimer’s charities promote awareness of the disease including how Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed, the differences between dementia and Alzheimer’s, and other important facts about Alzheimer’s research.
Watch the full segment here:
Did you miss our Spectrum 1 segment on-air?
Read the recap below and remember, if you feel inspired by our mission to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, add the name of your loved one to our race car here.
Racing for the cure: finding a treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease
Racing to End Alzheimer’s started in 2017 when Phil realized he could use this moving billboard to raise funds for the cure of the disease.
As Phil said during the Spectrum interview, “Our loved ones are often the driving force in our lives … [and just like racing] taking care of someone who is going through this is a team sport.”
All funds donated to Racing to End Alzheimer’s are split between two Alzheimer’s charities: the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist in Texas and the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program in California where Phil’s wife underwent advanced diagnostics after her initial diagnosis.
Since setting out to find the treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in 2011, the Nantz National Alzheimer Center (NNAC) has become a world-renowned research and referral center that sees thousands of patients each year. Its goals: discover how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, slow down memory loss as a symptom, and improve patient quality of life as each person copes with the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Meanwhile, UCLA’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program is designed to help patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral and social needs of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. This includes helping others learn how to cope with Alzheimer’s as a family member and much more.
At the heart of our mission, we care tremendously about how to navigate an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and about funding research to learn how to prevent the disease and slow its progress.
All proceeds we raise not only benefit these two Alzheimer’s charities: they are matched to amplify our supporters’ contributions.
Racing for the care: a special connection with Alzheimer’s caregivers
Through racing, Phil said he meets people all over the United States with similar stories to his own. He enjoys bringing comfort to other Alzheimer’s caregivers and providing compassionate support when he hears their stories.
“I get to give them a hug, tell them it’s okay, and hold on to them for a little bit because I’m going through it too,” Phil said. “Our responsibility as caretakers is to love [our family members] right until the end.”
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