Photographs by William Taufic.
Doris McKee became involved with the Alzheimer’s Association when her husband was diagnosed with the disease in 1990. In 1996, the Norwalk resident created a support group for caregivers of Alzheimer’s sufferers.
“I couldn’t find a group that had meetings at a time that worked for me, and most only met once per month,” says Doris. “I started with two meetings a month and in no time at all we were meeting weekly. It’s a very tough disease. When you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, you watch them disappear before your very eyes.”
Although her husband is deceased now, Doris has continued to lead this group in the town where she has lived for fifty years. “That’s quite a number!” quips Doris, a Detroit native who moved with her husband from New York to Fairfield County. When he was struck with the disease, she explains that the first challenge was accepting the situation. “I kept saying, ‘No, no, it can’t be that. Anything but that.’ But there’s no way to change it. You have to accept it and do the best you can with the information and support that’s available. Fortunately, there is a lot of help out there.
“A support group is so important. A lot of people in my group are dealing with different stages of the disease and can offer tips about what works and what doesn’t. I get a lot of information from the association here in Norwalk to pass on. I’m so amazed continually by the help that comes out of sharing with others who are going through it.”
Doris is a longtime member of the Alzheimer Association’s Excellence in Caregiving luncheon committee. She also has participated in the annual Fairfield County Walk to End Alzheimer’s since its inception in 1994 and led one of the top fundraising teams in 2011.
“Doris’s diverse and consistent commitment to our organization’s vision of a world without Alzheimer’s is an asset to the community and the 70,000 people in Connecticut who are living with Alzheimer’s,” states Christy Kovel, senior director of communication at the Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter.
Doris views her volunteer time as just the natural thing to do. “I learned more than I ever wanted to know about a disease I knew nothing about at the start,” says Doris. “It’s good to be able to help others get through it.”