Elizabeth Co-Captains the Chicago Strides for CJD Event In Memory of Her Uncle Jorge
In November 2016, Elizabeth’s uncle, Jorge, asked her to write a check out for him because he had forgotten how to do it. It was an odd request because he was young. But then his speech started declining, he couldn’t process what he wanted to say, and she knew something was seriously wrong. His doctor referred them to a neurologist, who had seen an instance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) before and immediately suspected that might be his diagnosis.
CJD is a rare neurodegenerative disease that has no treatment or cure. CJD, a prion disease, is caused by misfolded proteins in the brain. In the United States approximately 550-600 people receive this diagnosis per year.
Her uncle passed shortly after his diagnosis. That year, Elizabeth reached out to the captain of the Chicago Area Strides for CJD event to become a volunteer. Strides for CJD is an annual walk/run with events taking place all across the country the first two weekends of October.
Last year, Elizabeth became the co-captain of the event with Molly Nocerino. “Getting the word out and spreading awareness is so important,” said Elizabeth. “We want to understand where CJD comes from and fund research to one day find a cure.”
Participants can connect with the Strides for CJD community, honor their loved ones, and raise awareness.
“A highlight for me is to meet other people who went through losing a family member so quickly from something you’ve never heard about,” said Elizabeth. “It really helps families cope.”
All money raised will benefit the CJD Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, to provide family support, medical education, and research programs.