In July 2016, Pat Golden, a wonderful husband and father, a civil engineer, and a faith-filled devout Catholic, started to experience memory loss.  With each passing day, Pat became less like himself, and his health was rapidly declining.  He started to experience confusion, hallucinations, anger, increased anxiety, personality changes, and the loss of balance, appetite, and the ability to care for himself.  Pat’s wife, Helen, and his daughters, Michelle and Shannon, lovingly cared for Pat as they searched for answers.  After many doctor appointments and tests, Pat was diagnosed with a rare, neurodegenerative disease called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or CJD, that has no treatment or cure. CJD is a rapid form of dementia that affects 1 in a million people each year.  

Helen, Michelle, and Shannon host Strides for CJD which is an annual walk/run to raise awareness of CJD.  Through this event, people can pay tribute to their loved ones and raise funds for the CJD Foundation to provide family support, medical education, and research programs.  This year’s Pittsburgh event will be held on Saturday, October 12 from 9:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the South Park Cottage and adjacent track.  We would love for you to join us as we walk in memory of Pat and all others who've lost their lives to CJD.