Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown recently recognized city resident and community builder Sandy White with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. DREAM award. The award recognizes individuals who encourage residents in the community to build connections, represent the marginalized Buffalo community and help to mobilize residents toward a continued spirit of service.
In addition to Sandy’s work in the city, she is a dedicated volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association Western New York Chapter (WNY). “One can feel helpless watching a loved one struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. I found the strength to love even more intensely on this journey, fueled by my faith and supported by friends at the local Alzheimer’s Association.”
Sandy credits a book by Dr. King with inspiring her support of the Association’s mission and framing the care she provided for her father during his battle with dementia. “In ‘The Strength to Love,’ Dr. King talks in-depth about the power of love and this phrase is especially moving to me: ‘Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God.’ ”
Among Sandy’s notable contributions and accomplishments with the Alzheimer’s Association WNY Chapter is her advocacy on behalf of Chapter with elected leaders and her efforts to provide free dementia resources in Buffalo by serving as a community educator. Chapter Executive Director Jill Horner recruited Sandy for the board because of her work in the community.
“We are especially proud to celebrates Sandy’s achievements in diversity, health equity and inclusion in our community during Black History Month. Sharing important knowledge about the disease is critical to eliminating healthcare disparities as Sandy knows as a prior caregiver and an active board member,” said Ms. Horner. “Sandy’s volunteer work for the Chapter is vital as she unites families facing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and we are very fortunate to have her on our team.”
The need for strong voices and advocacy on behalf of Black communities in the fight against Alzheimer’s has never been greater.
• African Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as older white Americans because of higher occurrences of high blood pressure and diabetes.
• African Americans may be more likely to be diagnosed in the later stages of the disease, when individuals are more cognitively and physically impaired – and therefore in need of more medical care.
• Despite their increased risk, Black Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials, making up only about 5% of all trial participants.
According to the 2021 “Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report” published by the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 400,000 people living in New York State have been diagnosed with the progressive, brain-destroying and fatal disease known as Alzheimer’s. That’s roughly one in eight senior citizens over the age of 65. And the numbers are more startling among the nation’s older Black community: One in four have the disease, with older Black Americans twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s or other related dementia when compared with older white Americans.
By working together, we hope to reduce these risk factors and reverse the growing trend of Alzheimer’s disease among African Americans. Key to reducing the risk is knowing the warning signs:
• Memory changes that disrupt daily life
• Challenges in planning or solving problems
• Difficulty completing familiar tasks
• Confusion with time or place
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
• New problems with words in speaking or writing
• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
• Withdrawal from work or social activities
• Changes in mood and personality
The Western New York Chapter offers a free warning signs class several times every month, along with other educational programs, support groups and care consultations. To learn more, visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900. Local staff is also available by phone from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at (716) 626-0600, ext. 313.
The Alzheimer’s Association leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.
The local Chapter provides programs, services and other resources for those living with dementia, their care partners, healthcare professionals and others across eight counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming.
