In May of 2020, my mom, Susan Bollant, was diagnosed with CJD. I will never forget the neurologist telling me it could be days, weeks, or maybe a couple of months; there was no way of knowing with this disease. When I said I wished we knew more about it, I got the stupidest response possible: "No, we know a lot about it!" And yet there we were, with no cure, no treatment, and no chance of survival.
She fought like hell, as anyone who knew her would expect, and became our guardian angel on 11/11/2020. We lost an incredible mother, friend, sister, wife, chef, gardener, and so much more.
While many people spent COVID picking up new hobbies and perfecting sourdough bread, my family was learning how to become nurses so she could spend her last months in the comfort of home. The silver lining of that strange, hard year was the time it gave us together. My brother and I got to care for her with the same love and devotion she raised us with, a small way to pay back the childhood she gave us.
Giving back was always important to my mom. As a kid, she used to bring me along while she cleaned an elderly woman's house. I complained about it then; now I treasure the memory. That dedication to community is something I've carried forward in my own life.
On October 4th, I'll take the steps she no longer can. Every dollar raised brings us closer to a day when a CJD diagnosis comes with answers, treatment, and hope.
