Hi everyone!

We took a year off of fundraising but we are back again this year and looking to make up for last year.  Just want to remind you all what we are doing and why this is so important to us.

Picture it, Elmwood Park New Jersey 2015.
Mom (Joyce) is starting to exhibit signs of what we thought was dementia, something that runs in her family.
While concerning, not something we thought was going to be the whirlwind that we ended up facing.
After many visits with many different neurological doctors she was diagnosed with CJD.  What in Gods name is CJD and what can we do about it?
If only it was that simple!  So let me explain as best as I can.

CJD is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to dementia and death.
The condition causes personality changes, anxiety, depression, and memory loss, usually within a few months. In moms case she lost her vision, her ability to speak and her ability to move.
Because no effective treatment exists, the focus is on alleviating pain and relieving symptoms.  Most people succumb within weeks or if "lucky" months.

And so within a few short months we effectively lost the ability to communicate with mom and she lost her ability to function as normal.  We eventually had to move her to a nursing home and we were "lucky" to have her until June 11th, 2018.  She was an anomaly in her disease as she was in her life!

Our mother fought hard her whole life to live as normally as possible being visually impaired and hearing impaired and this was no different.  Her diagnosis carrried a 6-12 month sentence but she fought for over 2.5 years and she did it with dignity.

Her time was spent doing everything we did...if we went to dinner she came with us.  If we went to a mall shopping, she went with us.  If we went visiting family, she did as well...she was never left alone.  But suffering was her daily routine.  And we promised we would fight on her behalf so that others didn't have to suffer.

That bring us to 2023...5 long years we've been without her smiling face, her laughter and her love.

Please help us help others.   To be without loved ones is devastating, to watch our loved ones suffer is tragically devastating.

To donate to our team, text STRIDES2023 to 50155. 

Donations of $250 and above are considered sponsorships.

Sponsorship Levels:

• Premier: $20,000
• Diamond: $10,000
• Platinum: $5,000
• Gold: $1,000
• Silver: $500
• Bronze: $250

Premier, Diamond, and Platinum Sponsors will have their name or logo displayed on participant t-shirts, the Strides for CJD website, and signage. Gold Sponsors will have their name or logo displayed on the Strides for CJD website, and will have their name (not their logo) listed on participant T-shirts and signage. Silver and Bronze Sponsors will have their name listed on the Strides for CJD website only.