On March 17, 2021 my bright, brave, funny, gorgeous, superstar mom, Jacki Florin, passed away after a seven year battle with Early Onset Alzheimer’s disease. I miss her every single day and promise to keep fighting to find a cure for this heartbreaking disease. 

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When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's the phrase "it's a marathon not a sprint" takes on a new meaning. There are challenging times when you hit "a wall" and want to quit, but persevere anyway. There are times of great triumph when you plan ahead and reach your goal. Although the journey is long and difficult, your support system gives you hope and cheers you on. 

On November 6, 2022 I will run the NYC Marathon for the third time, but it will be the first time without my biggest cheerleader. I know she will be in my heart every step of the way. 

This year I am raising money for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, an organization that continues to support my family throughout our journey. The ADDF gave me a voice when I felt alone (see a little glimpse of my story here) and I am proud to be running on their team this year. 

I run so that future generations will not have to experience the heartbreak my family experienced.  When my mom was diagnosed, she was super-mom and at the height of her career as a Broadway producer. I was 21 years old and it was devastating to accept that she would never receive her Tony Award, wouldn’t be at my wedding and would never hold her grandchildren. Every family’s journey with the disease is unique but every family’s journey with Alzheimer’s is filled with similarities, including recurring grief and accepting each and every loss. 

For me, caregiving was a transformative experience. Despite all of the sad times, my family and I were lucky that we shared many belly laughs. We channeled mom’s strength and bravery and leaned into the nonsensical words and goofy dance moves. When we felt hopeless, we remembered that resilience was our only option.

We couldn’t control this disease, but we could control our response to it. We could belt Bruce Springsteen in the living room every day, eat chocolate ice cream every night, and dance around the dinner table for hours with mom. There was a subtle power in making those choices. And now I'm choosing to run the marathon in her honor.

For our family, there was no hope for a cure…so we hoped for other things - we hoped that mom would have the best care and would be happy for as long as possible. We hoped she would laugh until the very end, that she would not be in pain, and that she would pass peacefully surrounded by so much love.

I dream of a day when Alzheimer’s is not a death sentence. I dream that my children and grandchildren will not have to go through what I went through.

I run so that in the future, children will hear their moms cheer loudly at graduation, they will see her tear up as she walks them down the aisle, and they will smile when they realize how much she adores her grandchildren. This is different from what I experienced but it is what I hope future generations will get to experience because of organizations like the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. 

So please consider making a donation today. No donation is too small because every dollar brings us one step closer to finding a cure for this devastating disease.

With so much love and gratitude, 

Michelle

"Left foot. Right foot. Breathe" - Pat Summitt