Doretta Kidd lost her husband Johnny to Alzheimer's last November.
She and her stepdaughter Ashley Avery, who assisted with his care, spoke about what they learned from their years of caregiving and what they're doing now to try and continue to make a difference.
For the past few weeks, we've been sharing the stories of caregivers from throughout the state.
Ashley Avery: There are four people in my family that have officially been diagnosed — that's my reason because I want to know what the genetic factor is behind it. I don't think it's a coincidence that so many of my family have been diagnosed. Who's to say who went undiagnosed?
My dad's family is huge. He's the second youngest of 11 kids. So, with me being one of the youngest of my generation — out of all of his siblings – I don't know like the siblings that may have come before me, including like his parents siblings. I didn't really know them, so I don't know how far back this disease goes.
So, a big push for advocacy, for me, is because I want to see changes as far as early detection because I think early detection, number one, will help to prolong, you know, the inevitable. But to help prolong, I'm, again, I'm in clinical research now,
So, I'm in the advocacy group because the only way that we can truly get a cure is we need diversity in clinical research, and we don't have that.
We preach a lot about clinical diversity. Is it getting better? Absolutely. But again, because it's genetics, we need diversity at trials.
And unfortunately, because of, you know, the way our country started, Black people are afraid of research, and so, as a black woman in clinical research, I want to advocate to bring more diversity to the table and not be afraid to be poked at sometimes or to be prodded because that's going to be what brings us actual cures.
So, I had to join because genetically, I can be impacted.
Doretta Kidd: For me, I advocate now because of Ashley.
I do want to, you know, try to be a voice for others — especially with resources that I did not qualify for.
I'm just amazed that my husband was a veteran and did not receive any VA benefits at all, and when I would apply, I was declined because of our income.
And, you know, people think when you're middle class and you have a decent income, that you're good — but you're not good.
Just his daycare alone was $75 a day, but I had to pay that out of out of pocket, which, you know, people just don't understand.
But again, you do what you have to do, and you make it work, but if there was resources available — that would help.
Ashley Avery: The Senate, our Congress, our government, they do not know about this stuff until we as caregivers and advocates start to share. That's the only way we're going to start seeing change.
