Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:07
Hannah Schwartz, 18, of Clarksville, TN has witnessed what she
calls the kind of love that can only be expressed by a caregiver to
a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, and she has captured that
“enduring devotion” in the winning video for the Alzheimer’s
Foundation of America (AFA) Teens Video Competition.
AFA announced today that Schwartz is the grand prize winner of the
annual contest and will receive a $500 award. The runners-up are
Kaylin Saffee of Miami, and Maila Tafua of Laie, HI, who will each
receive a $250 prize.
Offered through the AFA Teens branch, the video competition is part
of AFA’s effort to provide a creative outlet for teenagers coping
with Alzheimer’s disease and to engage the younger generation in
this important cause. The winning videos are posted on http://www.afateens.org/video_competition_2011.html.
The competition asks teens to record a two-minute video that gives
thoughtful consideration to “a moment in relation to Alzheimer’s
disease when you learned something about your understanding of the
disease, learned something about caregiving, or decided to become a
community volunteer/activist.”
Schwartz’s heartfelt video touches upon the love and devotion of a
caregiver; it focuses on how her great-grandfather cared for her
great-grandmother who had Alzheimer’s disease for many years. The
teen’s win comes just one week after her great-grandmother passed
away.
“I wanted this video to portray the hope that a devoted caregiver
can bring to a hopeless situation like Alzheimer’s disease,” said
Schwartz, who has been home-schooled since second grade and plans
to study nutrition in college.
“This disease has affected my whole family in different ways,” she
added. “We saw my great-grandmother slowly losing memories, her
personality and even words, but we also saw my great-grandfather
showing enduring devotion as her caregiver. He carried all their
memories.”
One of the runners-up, Tafua, 16, pays tribute in her video to her
late grandfather who had Alzheimer’s disease by speaking to the
importance of tapping into the personhood of each individual with
dementia.She incorporated beautiful footage of the beach, one of
their favorite places, to convey her message.
“When I would feed him, we would watch the surfing channel,” she
said. “I would see this look in his eyes and I could just feel that
he misses that. I know that he cannot connect to me, but when I go
to the beach I can feel his love with me.”
Differently, the other runner-up, Saffe, 17, was prompted by her
grandmother’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease to present a call
to action in her video. She at times used English subtitles to
translate what her grandmother was saying in Spanish on
camera.
“Instead of concentrating on the sadness, I made it a point to
leave the viewer with a sense of hope and inspiration to stand up
and do something about it,” emphasized the teen, who aims for a
career in medicine.
Eric J. Hall, AFA’s president and chief executive officer, noted
that the winning videos, as well as others submitted in the
contest, “demonstrate how Alzheimer’s disease has a powerful impact
on young people. Their heartfelt messages bring to life the
emotions surrounding this disease and showcase the importance of
speaking out about the experience to help other teens who might be
going through a similar journey.”
The video competition is one of the many features of the AFA Teens
division, which is aimed at educating and engaging youth and
connecting them with peers whose family members are affected by the
disease. Teens are encouraged to express themselves on a bulletin
board, seek support from AFA social workers, and set up AFA Teens
chapters in their community.
According to a survey by the National Alliance for Caregiving and
United Hospital Fund, more than one million children nationwide
care for sick or disabled parents and grandparents; Alzheimer’s
disease and related dementias were the most prevalent illnesses. As
many as 5.1 million Americans currently have Alzheimer’s disease,
and the incidence is skyrocketing as the population faces a greater
risk of the disease with advanced age.
For more information about AFA Teens, visit http://www.afateens.org.
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a
national nonprofit organization that unites more than 1,600 member
organizations nationwide with the goal of providing optimal care
and services to individuals with dementia, their caregivers and
families. Its services include counseling and referrals by licensed
social workers via a toll-free hot line, e-mail, Skype and live
chat; educational materials; a free quarterly magazine for
caregivers; and professional training. For more information about
AFA, call toll-free 866-AFA-8484 or visit http://www.alzfdn.org.