Lost in your own mind, trapped with no way out. You reach for words and intangible memories that are fading too quickly to grasp. Scared and more confused than ever you feel alone, helpless, and frustrated. It has been compared to being called upon to answer a question in class. You know the answer, yet you can’t grasp it. The entire classroom is staring at you. Palms sweaty and cheeks flushed, embarrassment envelopes you like the black veil of a funeral.
According to Alzheimers.org, in 2014 alone, more than 5.2 million Americans suffer from this ruthless disease, and ever-so-slightly, their lives begin to unravel before their very eyes. This including 200,000 individuals younger than the age of 65 diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, some not much older than you. It is the sixth leading cause of death in Americans for those aged 65 years or older, but the scariest fact lies in that it kills more people yearly than prostate and breast cancer…combined.
Women are at the epicenter of this epidemic. Almost two-thirds of Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are women. In addition, more than sixty percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers are also women. They are 2.5 times more likely than men to provide intensive “on-duty” care 24 hours a day to victims of the disease. By providing funding for organizations such as HFC, together we can vanquish a disease that affects the lives of those who ultimately gave life to you.
As college students, it seems a light year away. Why worry about something that couldn’t possibly affect us for another forty odd years. The truth of the matter is this: it’s affecting us NOW. The time to act is now. Why put off what off for tomorrow, what could get done today?
This is when the organization, Hilarity for Charity (HFC) comes into play. This incredible foundation headed by Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen (FSU Film School Alum 2003) aims to inspire change and raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in the millennial generation. In a recent interview with Lauren, we asked her to explain the importance of the participation of college students in this organization.
Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen
“It’s important. You know a disease like Alzheimer’s, unless you’ve been touched by it with a grandparent or parent when you’re young, is really hard to understand. And unless you’ve been touched by it personally, it’s hard to understand why it’s important to care about it and why it’s not a natural part of aging. And so for us having college students put on these events, it’s about raising awareness for a disease that is growing so exponentially that it will affect us one day if we don’t do something about it now. If we don’t learn about what it does to us, it will get to us. It will come for us in the form of care-giving, sooner, and being diagnosed later – as scary as that sounds.”
This incredible group has already funded several early-onset Alzheimer’s research studies as well as a telephone support group within the Los Angeles area that provides transportation to and from support meetings. In addition, they have been funding the women’s campaign, “My Brain,” which focuses on using the brainpower of women all across the nation to come forth to wipe out this disease – one of the greatest threats to women’s health. 50% of the money, though, has just been revealed as funding for the actual victims of this disease. Hilarity for Charity has teamed up with Home Instead Senior Care and are now allowing for families to apply for care-giving grants. The “Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Relief Grant Program” will now allow families to avoid nursing homes and provide care to their loved ones in the comfort of their homes.
As both a granddaughter and daughter affected personally by the disease, Lauren strives to reach as many souls as she can in order to make the lives of those affected that much easier. When she was just 25, her mother was diagnosed at age 55 with early-onset Alzheimer’s. It was then that she realized families all across the nation suffer from the financial burden that accompanies this disease.
Facts provided by Alzheimers.org: It is the most expensive condition in the nation. In 2014 alone, the direct costs to American society of caring for those with Alzheimer’s will total an estimated $214 billion including $150 billion to Medicare and Medicaid. Just to paint a picture – that’s eight times more than the total revenue of McDonald’s in 2012. Yet, it only gets worse from here. By 2050 Alzheimer’s will cost an estimated $1.5 trillion in today’s dollars. You do the math. That places our generation smack dab in the middle of the all-time high of the most expensive disease in the nation. It is up to us to start making a change now that will save us in the future.
HFCU is a nationwide program that encourages and supports college groups to host their very own Hilarity for Charity events to raise money for this important cause. FSU is getting involved, and like always, we plan to come out on top. Hosting these events this year are the university’s Askew Student Life Center and Cinema, FSU Film School and FSU College of Medicine. Kicking off the event was an Open Mic Night comedy special where friends voted for their favorite comic by donating to the HFCU FSU website. Other events include stand-up comedian pre-shows before films, among many others. The kickoff for this fundraiser runs October 7-12.
So what’s in it for you, you say? The university that comes out on top will receive a visit from Seth Rogen himself, and maybe even a few friends. There will be a screening of the movie Superbad where Seth will provide live commentary. Last year’s winner was the PIKE fraternity of the University of Vermont. They took home the prize for raising $27,000 and in turn spent the night partying with Seth and friends. With over 40,000 students enrolled here at FSU, if each one donated merely $1 we would have almost doubled last year’s winners’ total. That is one dollar. Save the calories you were going to spend at McDonald’s, and donate that dollar toward funding Alzheimer’s research and lead us one step closer to a wild night with Seth.
When we talked with Lauren Miller she expressed how she would feel if FSU came out of this as winners,
“Oh my gosh! Wow! It would make me so freaking proud if FSU came out on top, and of course I would be thrilled to go there and bring Seth. It would be amazing and I would be so proud if my school won the whole thing!”
We, at Her Campus FSU, would like to encourage you to participate and help raise awareness and funding for the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. And hey, a visit from Seth Rogen wouldn’t hurt either! Visit https://www.crowdrise.com/FSU-hfcu1 to donate today! Also, for more ways to get involved in the fight, visit http://www.hilarityforcharity.org/#!get-involved/c1eju and be a part of the movement that is changing lives for the better.
Seth Rogen with last year’s winner, the PIKE fraternity from the University of Vermont