Bakersfield walk to end Alzheimer's Disease

One in eight people will develop Alzheimer's disease in his or her lifetime. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

It can't be prevented, cured, or even slowed down. But, you can take steps this weekend to help find a cure.

Caroline and Glenn Knox met in Bakersfield in 1956 and married the following year. The two enjoyed cooking, going to church, and laughing with each other.

During their 48 years together, their world centered around their 13 grandchildren.

"The one thing that was big in our house was music.  If my dad turned on the stereo, wherever my Mom was in the house, she would come in and they would just start dancing," said Melanie Craig, who lost her mother to Alzheimer's Disease.

"And, then of course all the grandkids would get up and dance," she continued.

The dancing came to an end in 2003, when Knox was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

"I would go over every morning and feed my dad through his feeding tube,and then I would cook her breakfast and give them all their meds," said Craig.

"But,every day when I went there, she was tapping me on the shoulder and was like, who's that man over there? What is he doing here?" she continued.

Glenn Knox died in 2005 and his wife started to slip away from her family.

"She wouldn't talk. She couldn't eat," said Craig.

"It's just a slow regression of everything you take for granted in your daily tasks. You just revert back to childhood and it goes down from there," said Kayla Chapman, Knox's granddaughter.

"It was hard. Never in front of her, I would go home and cry," noted Craig.

Three years later, Caroline Knox died of Alzheimer's at age 69.

"We want to make it more known, find a cure, make sure that other people don't have to struggle with it like we did," explained Chapman.

There is no cure for Alzheimer's, which is why Knox's family will join others Saturday at the "Walk to End Alzheimer's." The event raises money for care, support,and research.

The walk is at the Park at River Walk on Stockdale Highway. Registration starts at 9 a.m. The walk will begin at 10 a.m.

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