My mom, Vicky Brock, wore a lot of hats. Daughter. Mom. Grammy. Aunt Vicky. One of the “birthday girls.” And one-third of DVS, which is what my grandparents called Donna, Vicky and Shirley. Say it out loud and you get “Devious,” and trust me, it fit. These are the same three girls who once tried to sneak their mother’s car out for a joyride, only to look up mid-fumble and see my Grammy at the top of the driveway, tapping her foot: “Going somewhere, girls?”
My sister Chrystal and I won the mom lottery. We moved a lot growing up, and somehow every new address felt like home within a week. Mom had opinions, some of them strong, but she never forced them on us. She let us find our own way, and she showed up for every step of it.
She was competitive, too. High school basketball in Maine, country club tennis in Florida, and at least one women’s doubles club championship. If someone she loved was on a court or a field, you could hear her from a couple of miles away. I used to shoot her the “settle down” look from the field. If I could go back, I’d tell her to cheer louder.
She was fearless and funny. At a packed restaurant in Jupiter, Florida, with no line and no hope of a table, she walked up to a couple she’d never met, started laughing with them like old friends, and got invited to sit down. When they left, the table was ours. I’m pretty sure the people still waiting applauded.
But the thing that defined her was her heart. I once came across the word compathy, which means actually feeling what someone else feels, right along with them. That was Mom. She always made your deal a bigger deal than her deal. She buried her father, two sisters, two young nephews, her mother, and David, her husband of more than twenty years. She was heartbroken every time, and she kept going every time.
The long goodbye
People call Alzheimer’s “the long goodbye.” In some ways ours was too long. In others it wasn’t nearly long enough.
I first noticed symptoms in 2019. I was scared, sad, angry and helpless, often all at once. After Dave passed, I was face to face with it, and I threw everything I had at making a difference. I studied what to say and what not to say. I dug into every resource I could find. I even started a company to help caregivers find their way through it.
Here’s what I can tell you: it is brutal to watch someone you love become, in many ways, the opposite of who they were. I mourned Mom many times before we said our final goodbye. Near the end, she cared for baby dolls as if they were her own children. Even then, the nurturer in her found a way through.
That’s why I walk. Mom is gone, but this fight isn’t over, and I’m as competitive as she was.
Where the fight stands right now
I don’t hand my time or money to just anyone, so I’ve watched closely what the Alzheimer’s Association actually does with it. The short version: they’re pushing on every front at once. Here’s what has my attention this fall.
1. Getting a simple blood test covered by Medicare. This is the one I care about most. FDA-cleared blood tests can now help detect Alzheimer’s, but an outdated Medicare rule keeps the program from covering early detection tests. The bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act would fix that. On September 16, 2026, the House Ways and Means Committee passed it unanimously, and it has 217 House and 50 Senate cosponsors (Alzheimer’s Association). One of the Senate sponsors is Susan Collins of Maine, which I think would have made Mom proud. The Association’s Southeast advocacy director called it “our mammogram moment,” because when Medicare covers a test, private insurers tend to follow (Bay News 9). Earlier answers mean more time to plan, more time to try treatments, and more good days together.
2. Proving that brain health starts long before symptoms. The Association led and largely funded U.S. POINTER, a two-year study of older adults at risk of decline. People who followed a structured program of exercise, better nutrition, mental and social engagement, and health monitoring saw real gains in cognition (U.S. POINTER results). This summer, the Association announced $100 million for a global trial testing that kind of lifestyle program alongside a metabolism-targeting drug such as a GLP-1 (AIM). I wish I’d known all of this a decade ago. Take care of your brain now, friends.
3. Funding the science that leads to a cure. The Association calls itself the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research, with more than $450 million in over 1,200 active projects across 59 countries (Alzheimer’s Association annual report). At its international conference in London this July, researchers shared early evidence that a drug can clear toxic tau tangles in early Alzheimer’s and slow decline. They also showed that a blood marker called p-tau217 can flag future decline in people with no symptoms yet (AIM).
4. Keeping federal research dollars flowing. Advocates helped add $100 million in the 2026 federal budget. That brings annual federal investment in Alzheimer’s and dementia research to about $3.9 billion, the highest since the National Alzheimer’s Project Act became law (AIM).
5. Showing up for families today. A cure is the goal, but more than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s right now, and nearly 13 million people are caring for them (AIM). I’ve been one of those caregivers. The Association’s free, confidential 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900 connects you with real people who can help with a new diagnosis, behavior changes, care planning, legal and financial questions, or a bad night (Alzheimer’s Association). If you’re in it right now, call them. And you can call me, too.
Walk with us: Jacksonville, November 7
The 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Jacksonville is a 1.5-mile walk starting at Riverfront Plaza downtown (event info).
My favorite part is the Promise Garden. Every walker gets a flower in a color that tells their story: blue if you’re living with dementia, purple if you’ve lost someone, yellow if you’re caring for someone now, and orange if you support the cause. For years, my color would have been yellow. This year, I’ll be carrying purple for Mom.
Check out this pod by PBJAX: Jacksonville’s Entrepreneur Hub highlighting stars in the Fight to #EndAlz.
Three ways to help
Join or donate to team flourishON. This is our team page: flourishON on the Jacksonville Walk. From there you can join the team and walk with us, or donate to back someone who is. Every gift counts, and yes, I’m keeping an eye on the leaderboard. Mom would expect nothing less.
Volunteer on walk day. If walking isn’t your thing, the event runs on volunteers. Walk-day roles include greeters, registration and check-in, setup and cleanup, water stations, the Promise Garden, route monitors and cheer stations, and a “Thank You Brigade.” To sign up:
- Go to the Jacksonville volunteer page.
- Fill out the volunteer form with your contact info and T-shirt size, and pick “Walk day volunteer.”
- Questions? Contact the volunteer coordinator, Carly Wille, at [email protected] or (561) 339-4046.
If you sign up for a cheer station, channel my mom. Be loud. Be the reason someone’s eardrums need prayer.
Talk to me. If you or someone you love is going through this, reach out. I’ve learned a lot about what to say, what not to say, and which resources actually help. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Say it while you can
If Mom taught me anything, it’s to say what you need to say out of love, and to say it now. Call your mom. Tell your people what they mean to you. Don’t let your regrets be the things you left unsaid.
Mom, thank you for loving us, for the great food, and for always being a great listener. You kept us coming back to the dinner table as a family, and you taught us to serve others along the way. On November 7, we walk for you.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)
Sources
- House Ways and Means Committee unanimously passes bill to expand early Alzheimer’s detection, Alzheimer’s Association, Sept. 16, 2026
- Medicare could cover FDA-approved blood tests for Alzheimer’s, Bay News 9, Oct. 2026
- The case for federal research funding, straight from AAIC 2026, Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, July 16, 2026
- U.S. POINTER study results, Alzheimer’s Association
- Accelerating research: annual report, Alzheimer’s Association
- 24/7 Helpline, Alzheimer’s Association
- 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Jacksonville: event information
- 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Jacksonville: volunteer
