Several fundraisers are planned to benefit the Montezuma family and fight back against Alzheimer's

For Becky Scott, she remembers the exact moment her family's life was flipped upside down. 

In 2023, her husband, Lyle, was diagnosed with Young Onset Alzheimer's at age 57. 

"We went to our favorite restaurant all the time, had our favorite waitress and he said something very inappropriate to her. We didn't know what, but we could tell  something happened. I asked what happened and he said he couldn't remember—and he truly couldn't remember," Scott told The Parke County Post. 

Looking back, Scott can tell her husband was having moments where he wasn't himself. 

"Looking back, we know it started way before then. He was unemployed for three years now, and we were in the process of getting his diagnosis when he was terminated. I ended up becoming a full time caregiver, and it progressed so quickly that he is now in a nursing home, which we refer to as his apartment. Nobody wants to be in a nursing home at a young age, and he is aware of that most of the time. Alzheimers has hit us hard. It is not genetic, or at least he does not have the genes that were tested at this point. We don't know what caused it," she said. "Looking back, I wish I would have known. I do post a lot of things and information so people can understand and look for things. He was always very agitated and it got a lot worse. He would then blame things on other people, and when he became very kind, I knew something was not normal and wondered what we were looking at. He would get lost, forget important things."

This week, there are are two opportunities to get involved and join the Scott family in the fight against Alzheimer's. 

On Thursday, Chick-fil-A, 3675 S. US Highway 41, Terre Haute, will be holding a Spirit Day from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Twenty percent of all sales for the day will go to the Scott family. Those attending need to mention that they are there for Spirit Day in order for the funds to go to the Scott family. 

Then on Saturday, the 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer's will be held at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. The event begins at 9 a.m., opening ceremonies start at 9:45 a.m. and the walk will follow. There is no registration fee, although fundraising is encouraged. The walk will be held at the Michael Simmons Building and Recreation East, 525 N. 9th St., Terre Haute. 

Scott said it is important that people educate themselves about diseases before they encounter them. 

"The way we react and care for them it gives them dignity and makes life easier for us if we know how to respond to them. That is why I am doing what I am doing. Thirty-five percent of caregivers wind up facing a major health issue because they put their health on the back burner while taking care of the person they love and neglecting themselves," Scott said.

And, she is optimistic that with this week's events, those affected are one step closer to finding a cure. 

"This disease is brutal. We need a cure and it is on the horizon. The hardest thing is remembering this is a brain disease and they cannot help it. He couldn't help that he could not remember who I was for 30 solid days. What they are doing is not purposeful. It is just brutal," Scott said.