Alzheimer's Walk

It's devastating to watch someone slowly drift away, forgetting faces, names and important dates, among other things.

For the families and friends of an estimated 5.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, it's heartbreaking. The disease steals a person's memory and in some cases even changes their disposition.

On Saturday many will gather in Cape Girardeau to bring awareness to the disease and celebrate the lives of those who have succumbed to it.

The Walk To End Alzheimer's, now in its 17th year, will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday in Cape County Park North. Organizers say they are expecting 600 to 700 people to participate.

Sunday's Good Times feature told the story of Jill Braswell's father who died in 2012 after dealing with the disease since 2009. Braswell is encouraging people to attend in Saturday's walk, even if they can't participate. She will be walking with her mother and sisters. They call their group "Eddie's Dream Team," a salute to their father and husband Edgar Rellergert.

"For me and my family, the walk provides us with a way to remember dad and to fight the disease," she said. "I hope there's a cure for Alzheimer's in my lifetime."

To register, call the St. Louis chapter of the Alzheimer's Association at 800-272-3900 or visit alz.org/stl.