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CARING HEARTS



        AWARD










                                                        Martha Diaz is receiving the Caring Hearts
                                                        Award for her selfless efforts as a caregiver

                                                        and ambassador for Alzheimer’s Los Angeles.


                                                        In 2004, Martha Diaz was married, had a
                                                        government job for 29 years, and a family
                                                        that was healthy and happy. Later that year

                                                        Martha had to leave her old life behind and
                                                        enter into unfamiliar and uncharted territory;

                                                        sudden forgetfulness, a sign of Alzheimer’s.


                                                        Martha’s mother, who once had a mind as
                                                        sharp as a tack, was starting to experience

                                                        gradual symptoms of Alzheimer’s. She
                                                        became increasingly forgetful and the
                                                        neighbors oftentimes found her wandering

                                                        outside. What started out as a gradual
        MARTHA DIAZ                                     cognitive impairment for Martha’s mom
                                                        turned into the inability to feed and bathe
        Caregiver                                       herself.



        Alzheimer’s Los Angeles honors                  Martha began to educate herself more about
        Martha Diaz with the CARING                     the disease by reading online articles and
        HEARTS AWARD for bringing                       books. She researched local support groups

        comfort and inspiring others.                   and came across Alzheimer’s Los Angeles,

                                                        who provided her with information and made
                                                        her feel like she was no longer alone in this
                                                        journey. Martha says she is now in a much

                                                        better place and hope that others going
                                                        through the same thing know there is help out
                                                        there as long as they seek it out.
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