Tipton Hurst has long given back to charities in the Central Arkansas area. Often the charities we choose are dear to us for personal reasons. Tipton Hurst Vice President Chris Norwood, AIFD, created a beautiful arrangement to commemorate his mother, Louise, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease prior to her passing. 20% of the sale of the “My Loving Louise” bouquet go to Alzheimer’s Arkansas.
Featured in the bouquet are daisies, lilies, roses, stock, dahlias, and solidago in shades of pink and yellow.
“My mom always loved bright colors,” said Chris. “She was an avid gardener along with her mother, in fact, they were really involved in garden clubs. I just always think of her when I put together these arrangements because of the bright, fun colors.”
The Alzheimer’s Arkansas site provides some information which we wanted to share with you, including the starting statistics that 100,000 Arkansas are living with this disease and at least five-million Americans.
As the disease attacks the brain, memory, thinking and behavior are impaired. The rate of progression varies from case to case, which means that some will live with the disease for only a few short years where others can feel the effects slowly over 20 or more years. Sadly, the end result is the same. The person with the disease is no longer able to care for themselves often relying on family and caregivers.
“We were so fortunate to have Briarwood to care for mom, but especially my sister, Gala, who showed up every day,” said Chris. “Gala was a great source of comfort to us.”
We’re all aware of memory loss and “Oh, I lost my keys!” (forgetting where you put something) as symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease, but carriers can also suffer from disorientation, poor judgement, problems with abstract thoughts, difficulty performing familiar tasks, changes in mood, behavior and personality, as well as loss of initiative.
If you or a loved one are exhibiting any of these symptoms, visit with your doctor. While there is no one test which can definitively determine if you have Alzheimer’s, early intervention and some drugs can help treat many forms of dementia. This will also help your doctor prepare for treating common side effects such as anxiety and depression.
“Having experienced the disease first hand with my mother, I wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through this with their loved one,” said Chris. “I just really encourage people to continue supporting Arkansas Alzheimer’s so that we can find a cure for this dreadful disease.”
To order the My Loving Louise Bouquet click here