MCGREGOR, Texas (KXXV) — Texas lawmakers are looking to combat one of the nation’s leading causes of death through a propositions current on voting ballots.
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Melody Lee of McGregor opened with 25 News' Bobby Poitevint to share her family’s story — her mother's story — of living with Alzheimer’s.
The deadly disease claimed parts of her mother's memory but still left some special moments and loved ones names right where they’ve always been.
Lee recalls sharing exciting news about family members with her mother one day. While not being able to vocalize her thoughts, Melody believes her mother knew what Melody was saying.
“I really believe she did hear me. Why else was she squeezing my hand" Lee said.
Lee recalls seeing some of the first signs something wasn’t right with her mother's memory.
“Daddy called one day to see if I wanted to talk to mom and he hands her the phone, I could hear her telling him I can’t hear anything and he said Margie it’s because you have the phone upside down and you think about it and something as simple as that - it can tear you apart" said Lee.
Lee's mom lived for a few years after being diagnosed but passed away in 2011
Lee and her daughter have spent years raising awareness all across the country about the disease and advocating for public policy which now includes advocating for Proposition 14.
Alzheimer’s Association President & CEO Joanne Pike spoke to Bobby and said: “Proposition 14 is really an opportunity for Texas to take on Alzheimer’s and dementia. Right now, we have over 460,000 Texans over the age of 65 who are living with Alzheimer’s and that means there’s over 1.1 million family caregivers who are also caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.”
Proposition 14 allows for $3 billion from state surplus to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to study dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other brain related conditions and if passed the institute would receive 300 million annually from the state.
It’s received bipartisan support and is a legislative priority of Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.
One of the goals of Proposition 14 is to attract leading doctors and physicians from all over to the lone star state.
The fund and institute are modeled after the state’s Cancer Research and Prevention Institute, which has become the country’s second largest funder of cancer research.
“We have seen it work and we have seen the results,” Pike said.
For Lee, she’ll continue to bring awareness to the disease in anyway possible including being a Texas ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Association - she's wearing purple proudly for her mother and millions of others.
“It think it absolutely has to be passed,” Lee said.
