everybody so first I wanna play a song for you guys a little bit of it if it’ll
for you guys a little bit of it if it’ll
for you guys a little bit of it if it’ll oh and it’s that sorry let me start off
oh and it’s that sorry let me start off
oh and it’s that sorry let me start off with I’m a handle alone I’m an eighth
with I’m a handle alone I’m an eighth
with I’m a handle alone I’m an eighth grader at this school middle school and
grader at this school middle school and
grader at this school middle school and a little nervous I do talks like this
a little nervous I do talks like this
a little nervous I do talks like this I’m very talkative person I had a
I’m very talkative person I had a
I’m very talkative person I had a concussion this year that’s why I he was
concussion this year that’s why I he was
concussion this year that’s why I he was saying it’s a good or bad kind of
saying it’s a good or bad kind of
saying it’s a good or bad kind of situation but it was a good day today so
situation but it was a good day today so
situation but it was a good day today so I was able to so
I was able to so
I was able to so [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Music]
[Music] okay so that is part of a song that it’s
okay so that is part of a song that it’s
okay so that is part of a song that it’s called butterfly kisses bye Bob Carla so
called butterfly kisses bye Bob Carla so
called butterfly kisses bye Bob Carla so it was the song that my grandfather
it was the song that my grandfather
it was the song that my grandfather danced with my mom on her wedding day
danced with my mom on her wedding day
danced with my mom on her wedding day for the father-daughter dance I want you
for the father-daughter dance I want you
for the father-daughter dance I want you all to think of a memory one that was a
all to think of a memory one that was a
all to think of a memory one that was a favorite one that sticks out to you okay
favorite one that sticks out to you okay
favorite one that sticks out to you okay right there and then what have you
right there and then what have you
right there and then what have you forgot that memory welcome to the world
forgot that memory welcome to the world
forgot that memory welcome to the world of dementia my grandmother is one of my
of dementia my grandmother is one of my
of dementia my grandmother is one of my heroes
heroes
heroes every time I grandfather’s nursing home
every time I grandfather’s nursing home
every time I grandfather’s nursing home Carl calls she lends to the phone and
Carl calls she lends to the phone and
Carl calls she lends to the phone and her face turns pale she puts on a brave
her face turns pale she puts on a brave
her face turns pale she puts on a brave face and just listens she doesn’t say
face and just listens she doesn’t say
face and just listens she doesn’t say anything she just listens she tells me
anything she just listens she tells me
anything she just listens she tells me everything is okay
everything is okay
everything is okay and it will be okay but the expression
and it will be okay but the expression
and it will be okay but the expression on her face says she’s worried she’s
on her face says she’s worried she’s
on her face says she’s worried she’s away because she doesn’t know what’s
away because she doesn’t know what’s
away because she doesn’t know what’s going to happen next what they’re going
going to happen next what they’re going
going to happen next what they’re going to say my grandfather has dementia
to say my grandfather has dementia
to say my grandfather has dementia my name is McConnell alone and today
my name is McConnell alone and today
my name is McConnell alone and today I’ll be talking about dementia dementia
I’ll be talking about dementia dementia
I’ll be talking about dementia dementia some mental illness that causes a person
some mental illness that causes a person
some mental illness that causes a person not to be able to think clearly and not
not to be able to think clearly and not
not to be able to think clearly and not understand what is real and what isn’t
understand what is real and what isn’t
understand what is real and what isn’t there is no cure for dementia dementia
there is no cure for dementia dementia
there is no cure for dementia dementia describes symptoms including loss of
describes symptoms including loss of
describes symptoms including loss of memory language judgment etc dimensions
memory language judgment etc dimensions
memory language judgment etc dimensions caused by permanent brain damage or
caused by permanent brain damage or
caused by permanent brain damage or death of brains nerve cells Alzheimer’s
death of brains nerve cells Alzheimer’s
death of brains nerve cells Alzheimer’s can cause dementia and is a leading
can cause dementia and is a leading
can cause dementia and is a leading cause of dementia people over 65
cause of dementia people over 65
cause of dementia people over 65 Alzheimer’s signifies about 60% of all
Alzheimer’s signifies about 60% of all
Alzheimer’s signifies about 60% of all dementia now these are some tips for you
dementia now these are some tips for you
dementia now these are some tips for you so that you don’t get too mature
so that you don’t get too mature
so that you don’t get too mature when you’re older um trust me guys you
when you’re older um trust me guys you
when you’re older um trust me guys you don’t want this
don’t want this
don’t want this so take the advice I’m giving you and
so take the advice I’m giving you and
so take the advice I’m giving you and really think about it if you’re thinking
really think about it if you’re thinking
really think about it if you’re thinking of going on a diet
of going on a diet
of going on a diet try Mediterranean diet it decreases the
try Mediterranean diet it decreases the
try Mediterranean diet it decreases the risk of dementia if you’re asked to
risk of dementia if you’re asked to
risk of dementia if you’re asked to smoke here’s one good reason not to if
smoke here’s one good reason not to if
smoke here’s one good reason not to if you don’t smoke your chances of getting
you don’t smoke your chances of getting
you don’t smoke your chances of getting dementia is lowered overweight get
dementia is lowered overweight get
dementia is lowered overweight get active because that is another way to
active because that is another way to
active because that is another way to decrease the risk of dementia people may
decrease the risk of dementia people may
decrease the risk of dementia people may not think that dementia is a serious
not think that dementia is a serious
not think that dementia is a serious thing but believe me it is my
thing but believe me it is my
thing but believe me it is my grandmother was forgetting how to
grandmother was forgetting how to
grandmother was forgetting how to swallow his food they had a pureed I
swallow his food they had a pureed I
swallow his food they had a pureed I mean who wanted that he has to be on
mean who wanted that he has to be on
mean who wanted that he has to be on oxygen with this disease you are
oxygen with this disease you are
oxygen with this disease you are literally watching a person change and
literally watching a person change and
literally watching a person change and disappear before their eyes and all you
disappear before their eyes and all you
disappear before their eyes and all you can do is watch you can’t do anything it
can do is watch you can’t do anything it
can do is watch you can’t do anything it is the most horrible feeling in the
is the most horrible feeling in the
is the most horrible feeling in the whole world
whole world
whole world because you feel helpless you feel what
because you feel helpless you feel what
because you feel helpless you feel what you want to do something but you can’t
you want to do something but you can’t
you want to do something but you can’t and all they’re doing is suffering my
and all they’re doing is suffering my
and all they’re doing is suffering my family lost a volunteer firefighter a
family lost a volunteer firefighter a
family lost a volunteer firefighter a plow worker a lilac lover a fisherman a
plow worker a lilac lover a fisherman a
plow worker a lilac lover a fisherman a golfer a baseball catcher a friend a dad
golfer a baseball catcher a friend a dad
golfer a baseball catcher a friend a dad a husband and a grandpa I know this is
a husband and a grandpa I know this is
a husband and a grandpa I know this is kind of um hard test because it’s
kind of um hard test because it’s
kind of um hard test because it’s different with every audience members
different with every audience members
different with every audience members but if you know someone or know someone
but if you know someone or know someone
but if you know someone or know someone who has someone loved dementia can you
who has someone loved dementia can you
who has someone loved dementia can you raise your hand for me please okay raise
raise your hand for me please okay raise
raise your hand for me please okay raise your hand it keeps them up if you think
your hand it keeps them up if you think
your hand it keeps them up if you think it’s airy and horrible look around
it’s airy and horrible look around
it’s airy and horrible look around all these people are dealing with it
all these people are dealing with it
all these people are dealing with it just like the person that has it it’s
just like the person that has it it’s
just like the person that has it it’s horrible and doesn’t it make you want to
horrible and doesn’t it make you want to
horrible and doesn’t it make you want to do something raise your hand if you want
do something raise your hand if you want
do something raise your hand if you want to do something so you can change it so
to do something so you can change it so
to do something so you can change it so people don’t have to go through that so
people don’t have to go through that so
people don’t have to go through that so you don’t have to go through that
dementia is becoming more common for the
dementia is becoming more common for the elderly five or seven people get to
elderly five or seven people get to
elderly five or seven people get to mention between ages 71 to 79 24% get
mention between ages 71 to 79 24% get
mention between ages 71 to 79 24% get dementia between the years eighty to
dementia between the years eighty to
dementia between the years eighty to eighty nine thirty seventy percent of
eighty nine thirty seventy percent of
eighty nine thirty seventy percent of people get to mention years 90 and above
people get to mention years 90 and above
people get to mention years 90 and above I don’t know about you but I think this
I don’t know about you but I think this
I don’t know about you but I think this calls for change we need one research
calls for change we need one research
calls for change we need one research going to dementia so people don’t have
going to dementia so people don’t have
going to dementia so people don’t have to have this so we can get a cure so
to have this so we can get a cure so
to have this so we can get a cure so people don’t get it there needs to be
people don’t get it there needs to be
people don’t get it there needs to be more activities for people with dementia
more activities for people with dementia
more activities for people with dementia nursing homes activities that stimulate
nursing homes activities that stimulate
nursing homes activities that stimulate their minds such as word games talking
their minds such as word games talking
their minds such as word games talking about past and present events topics of
about past and present events topics of
about past and present events topics of interest puzzles and music if you have
interest puzzles and music if you have
interest puzzles and music if you have more activities for them then maybe that
more activities for them then maybe that
more activities for them then maybe that can bring that bin to another memory or
can bring that bin to another memory or
can bring that bin to another memory or remind them of something from their
remind them of something from their
remind them of something from their childhood or something about their
childhood or something about their
childhood or something about their family anything anything is better than
family anything anything is better than
family anything anything is better than nothing I believe that there should be
nothing I believe that there should be
nothing I believe that there should be support standards for families with
support standards for families with
support standards for families with loved ones stricken with dementia where
loved ones stricken with dementia where
loved ones stricken with dementia where they can learn different ways to help
they can learn different ways to help
they can learn different ways to help them a place where they can get their
them a place where they can get their
them a place where they can get their minds off the challenges of having a
minds off the challenges of having a
minds off the challenges of having a loved one with dementia where there will
loved one with dementia where there will
loved one with dementia where there will always be someone to talk to it would be
always be someone to talk to it would be
always be someone to talk to it would be run by volunteers anyone who is willing
run by volunteers anyone who is willing
run by volunteers anyone who is willing to make a difference let’s make a
to make a difference let’s make a
to make a difference let’s make a difference in the lives of people with
difference in the lives of people with
difference in the lives of people with dementia and there
dementia and there
dementia and there families if not today when make it today
families if not today when make it today
families if not today when make it today um my grandfather actually passed away
um my grandfather actually passed away
um my grandfather actually passed away from complications of dementia on
from complications of dementia on
from complications of dementia on December 3rd of this year and it was
December 3rd of this year and it was
December 3rd of this year and it was horrible he wouldn’t want to live the
horrible he wouldn’t want to live the
horrible he wouldn’t want to live the way he lived he had dementia since he
way he lived he had dementia since he
way he lived he had dementia since he was 50 ish and each time we saw him
was 50 ish and each time we saw him
was 50 ish and each time we saw him people who saw him outside of the house
people who saw him outside of the house
people who saw him outside of the house they didn’t realize how he was changing
they didn’t realize how he was changing
they didn’t realize how he was changing until it started getting really bad and
until it started getting really bad and
until it started getting really bad and the people who knew him and talked to
the people who knew him and talked to
the people who knew him and talked to him
him
him knew that he was different and he just
knew that he was different and he just
knew that he was different and he just kept on getting worse and we had to put
kept on getting worse and we had to put
kept on getting worse and we had to put him into the very difficult decision to
him into the very difficult decision to
him into the very difficult decision to put him in a nursing home five years ago
put him in a nursing home five years ago
put him in a nursing home five years ago and my grandmother got the call early in
and my grandmother got the call early in
and my grandmother got the call early in the morning that day that he was having
the morning that day that he was having
the morning that day that he was having complications with his dementia it was
complications with his dementia it was
complications with his dementia it was actually because he couldn’t figure out
actually because he couldn’t figure out
actually because he couldn’t figure out how he forgotten how to eat and pieces
how he forgotten how to eat and pieces
how he forgotten how to eat and pieces of food because he’d choke on his food
of food because he’d choke on his food
of food because he’d choke on his food all the time would get caught in his
all the time would get caught in his
all the time would get caught in his lungs and it eventually gave him his I
lungs and it eventually gave him his I
lungs and it eventually gave him his I believe fourth case and final case of
believe fourth case and final case of
believe fourth case and final case of pneumonia and he passed away
pneumonia and he passed away
pneumonia and he passed away at afternoon so this is for him so that
at afternoon so this is for him so that
at afternoon so this is for him so that people don’t have to go through what I
people don’t have to go through what I
people don’t have to go through what I eat it
eat it
eat it thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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