Merced walks to end Alzheimer’s, raises $50,000

It has been 10 years since Greg Ohanian, 58, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. His wife, Ashkhen Aristakessian, shared their story for the first time in Merced at last year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

On Saturday, during the city’s fourth annual fundraiser walk in the fight against the disease, the couple returned for an update. Her husband’s condition has worsened, and she, as a caregiver, continues to struggle, but the support she has received from others since publicly sharing their story has been encouraging, she said.

“We’ve been on this excruciating journey since he was 48,” Aristakessian shared in front of more than 500 people in attendance. “Every day he becomes more dependent on my care.”

Ohanian is one of more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It is estimated that number will increase to 16 million people by 2050.

According to the association, the disease is also reported as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s.

This year’s local event, held at Applegate Park, raised $50,136, surpassing organizers’ goal of $35,000. Event chairwoman Denise Turner said this year’s event also grew in attendance. “There’s more awareness and education now,” Turner said. “It’s important that (the walk) happens everywhere, including Merced.”

This was the first year the local walk took to the streets. Participants usually go around the park’s perimeter. This time, the 2 1/2 -mile route crossed M Street, Northwood Drive and R Street.

Some of the money raised for the Alzheimer’s Association funds local research, organizers pointed out.

Earlier this year, Carlos Rodriguez-Ortiz, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Merced, received a $150,000 grant from the association to finance a three-year Alzheimer’s study.

Through his work, Rodriguez-Ortiz aims to find out if increased levels of a specific molecule, known as miR-181, can lead to impaired nerve cell function and memory decline in Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding what switches are responsible for the damaged brain function could lead to finding a cure in the long run, Rodriguez-Ortiz explained.

“We’re still in the very beginning, but it’s a start,” he said.

This story was originally published October 18, 2015 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Merced walks to end Alzheimer’s, raises $50,000."