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Wendy Dalia of UNMC’s Printing Service was in Washington, D.C., when Reagan’s body was taken from Andrews Air Force Base to the Capitol Rotunda on June 9. Photo courtesy of Wendy Dalia. |
Watching his decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s nearly broke those same hearts.
UNMC, through its research efforts, is trying to eliminate the pain of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Citizens from Nebraskans can join in the fight against Alzheimer’s. A research fund has been established at the University of Nebraska Foundation, with all contributions directed toward UNMC to fight Alzheimer’s disease. The fund will serve as a tribute to former President Reagan, who died June 5 after a decade-long fight with Alzheimer’s, said John Niemann, Ed.D., senior vice president for the foundation.
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Wendy Dalia of UNMC’s Printing Service took this photo of the riderless horse June 9, as Reagan’s body was taken from Andrews Air Force Base to the Capitol Rotunda. |
Currently, the number of Nebraskans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease could fill Memorial Stadium. With Baby Boomers reaching retirement age and life expectancies increasing, the number of the state’s citizens who suffer from the disease will reach 100,000 in just a few years.
UNMC, through its research efforts, is trying to reverse that trend. With more than $8 million in research in neurodegenerative disorders, UNMC is studying the basic science and clinical treatments of Alzheimer’s disease, including new drug therapies.
“This disease does not respect even presidents,” said Jane Potter, M.D., Harris Professor of Geriatric Medicine and chief of the section of geriatrics and gerontology at UNMC. “It robs its victims of the vitality and personality that has endeared them to us. Families are equal victims. The loss of this great man provides an opportunity to increase efforts to find a cure and reduce the suffering of many Americans in the future.”
Howard Gendelman, M.D., director of the Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders (CNND) at UNMC, is among the nation’s top researchers in brain disease. He has $5.5 million in federal funding to research neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Niemann said several private gifts over the past several years have assisted UNMC in its Alzheimer’s research efforts. Notable among those is the Vada Kinman Oldfield Alzheimer’s Research Fund. The late Col. Barney Oldfield established the research fund at UNMC in 1999 in honor of his wife, who died that year after an 11-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Barney saw the devastating effects that Alzheimer’s disease can have, and he wanted deeply to see a cure developed,” Dr. Niemann said. “There are many other Nebraskans who share that wish. This is an opportunity for us to take positive action related to this destructive disease that affects so many Nebraskans and families across our nation. It’s a great way to pay tribute to a president whose family fought valiantly against the disease.”
Gifts can be made online at www.nufoundation.org or by mail at:
University of Nebraska Foundation
c/o University Alzheimer’s Research Fund
8712 W. Dodge Road, Ste. 100
Omaha, NE 68114