In September 2019, Michelle Montgomery’s father started not feeling well, complaining of being in a ‘brain cloud’ and confused. There were just three weeks from when he went to the hospital that month to when he passed away on October 5. His cause of death was Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare neurodegenerative disease that has no cure. CJD, a “prion” disease, is caused by misfolded proteins in the brain, called prions.
While rare, CJD affects thousands of families across the U.S. In 2020, to help process her grief, Michelle signed up to host a Strides for CJD event in Arlington, the first event in all of Texas.
This year’s event in Arlington will resume being in person and take place on Saturday, October 8 at Veterans Park. For Michelle, the event is an annual tribute to her father’s life, gathering of other community members who have had a devastating experience with prion disease, and a way to make an impact by funding research.
“It’s nice to be joined by others who have been affected by this horrific disease and form a network so other families don’t have to go through it alone. Seeing everyone gather, reminds me of how loved my father was and how much support I have in my own community,” said Michelle.
At the event, families say the names of all who have passed and share photos at the memory table that is set up.