California Lt. Governor Calls the Quilt a 'Beautiful Symbol'
NEW YORK, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --- Aylene Henderson-Bolds is best described by her daughter, Jean Bolds, as "a homemaker." Doing everything the old-fashioned way, Aylene Henderson-Bolds took care of her family --- hanging laundry on a clothes line, washing and drying her dishes by hand, and, of course, cooking their favorite meals.
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"The aroma from the kitchen met you at the front door and you couldn't wait to eat!" recalled Jean Bolds of San Pablo, CA.
But, when Aylene Henderson-Bolds began showing signs of Alzheimer's disease, roles became reversed. While caring for her mom was sad, Jean Bolds said, "It was the most important demonstration of love I could ever do for her."
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Now, Jean Bolds has demonstrated her love in yet another way: she has fittingly patched together some of her late mother's food-stained aprons to create a quilt panel for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) Quilt to Remember, the nation's first grand-scale dementia-related quilt that pays tribute to those who have passed or are living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, as well as caregivers and healthcare professionals.
Bolds' panel will be among approximately 100 large and thought-provoking panels on display when the AFA Quilt to Remember is laid out on the lawn of Hancock Park in Los Angeles on September 15 and 16. Bolds will share reflections of her mother in the opening ceremony at 11 a.m. on September 15.
California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi commented: "This quilt is a beautiful symbol of the connected efforts of many individuals who support those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease," he said. "I fully support the AFA's work to aid patients, their families and caregivers as we continue our search for a cure."
Rollout of the AFA Quilt to Remember comes at a time when the incidence of Alzheimer's disease is escalating nationwide, projected to triple to 16 million by mid-century. In California, an estimated 440,000 individuals aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, and the number is expected to increase to 480,000 by 2010.
"Each panel tells a person's story in a unique way and speaks for those who can no longer speak for themselves. Bringing these stories to life raises awareness of Alzheimer's disease in a very powerful and very real way," said Eric J. Hall, chief executive officer of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, a national nonprofit organization based in New York.
At St. Barnabas Senior Services in Los Angeles, several staff members and a half dozen seniors, including some with Alzheimer's disease, were putting the finishing touches this week on a multi-colored panel that honors the organization's professional caregivers.
"There are few opportunities to recognize people who provide this type of compassionate care. This is an exceptional opportunity to do that," said Martha Spinks, executive director.
The West Coast display marks the third stop on the 2007 tour of the massive arts project. It will be showcased later this year in Philadelphia on October 26-28 and in Garden City, NY on November 2-4. Afterwards, it will continually travel to other cities and increase in size with new contributions from individuals and organizations nationwide. Panels from individuals measure four feet square and those from groups are eight feet square.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is the presenting sponsor of the 2007-2008 tour. UPS is the transportation sponsor.
For more information, visit www.alzquilt.org or call 866-AFA-8484.
The Alzheimer's Foundation of America is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in New York and made up o
