Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and among the top 10 causes of death, is the only one that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed. This weekend UMC volleyball is putting on an "Alzheimer's Awareness" game as they host Minnesota State University, Mankato Fri., Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. All of this has been spearheaded by UMC junior setter Sierra Trost, a native of Ham Lake, Minn. Trost, a biology major at UMC, who has first-hand experience with what the disease can do to loved ones, recently losing her grandmother Ruthedale Coverdale to the disease.

Her experience with her grandmother, along with working at Riverview Health's Memory Care Unit in Crookston, inspired her to create a non-profit organization to help raise money to help find a cure for the disease.

"Starting Forgot Me Not was a personal thing," Trost said. "My grandmother passed away from Alzheimer's Dementia. I have seen how devastating a disease it can be and it really makes you want to make a difference. I worked at Riverview's Memory Care unit with people that suffer from Alzheimer's and Dementia. I got to make that personal connection with them and see how it effects tham and their families. All of this made me want to start Forget Me Not and just help out in any way that I can."

In addition to raising funds for her non-profit, from which 100 percent of the profits will go to the Mayo Clinic's research for Alzheimer's Disease, she also wants to raise awareness and what the disease does to those it effects, along with what it does to their families.

"The way it effects people is so different from any other disease," Trost said. "It steals life without actually stealing your life. It is really hard to explain, especially if that person hasn't had first-hand experience with it. I encourage everybody to
volunteer at a memory care unit or ask around."

Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia and accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. It is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest risk factor is increasing age and is a disease that worsens over time. In the near future, scientists have said that you will either know someone with Alzheimer's disease or you will have it yourself, if you don't already know someone with the disease.

Trost further explains what the disease does to people.

"The conversations with someone with Alzheimer's become less deep and more repetitive and it sometimes feels like you are talking in circles," Trost said. "Just getting someone to smile and remember your name is an accomplishment itself. It is just hard because the worst part is when you will go and visit them and they won't even know who you are sometimes. My grandmother's did not get that bad but I worked with some people who did get that bad."

Trost hopes to keep this non-profit growing and continue to have an event each year at UMC to raise awareness for the disease, even after she graduates. She hopes to pass on the event and the non-profit to other people in the Crookston community.

"Our ultimate goal is to hopefully have a world without Alzheimer's," Trost said. "What I see for this program is keeping it in Crookston. I feel that it is important to build those relationships and those connections with people in the non-profit and the people in the community. The people who I pass it down to can learn more about the disease, as well. Whatever we donate to Mayo Clinic is a help in itself. We don't have a specific goal but every little bit helps. We just want to make a difference in helping to find a cure for Alzheimer's."

Trost has been deeply effected by the disease through her experiences with her grandmother and it quite admirable what she has done, taking it upon herself to help raise awareness in the Crookston community for such a debilitating disease. Hopefully Trost's goals for Forget Me Not come to fruition and we can continue to work towards creating a world without Alzheimer's.

- Thanks to Sierra Trost for information about this disease along with her Forgot Me Not non-profit. Other figures came from the Alzheimer's Association website.

For more information on Forget Me Not visit fmndonate.com