Though She Remains Silent, Beverly Mire Still Speaks
"My Jesus, I long for the day of salvation; the day that I can feel myself whole again, body and mind working in tandem, being at peace. I long to trust in what I'm saying and thinking as what is proper, valid, on target. It is so lonely to live in this place of not knowing, not remembering. I am forced to live in the moment, but a moment means not always having a history bank from which to draw. I have to begin anew each time. I need to be reminded over and over again."
More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's Disease, an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Nearly two-thirds of those people are women.
Beverly Mire is one of those women.
There are 16 million caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias in the United States.
Paula Sarver is one of those caregivers.
This is their story.