Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/496582
COLLEEN'S FATHER, THOMAS CARROLL, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in his mid-60s. As a college student and later as an adult, Colleen had a front-row seat to Thomas' 12-year struggle with the disease that ultimately claimed his profession, independence, memories, and life. While Colleen and her family struggled alongside Thomas to cope with his declining well-being and increasing need for support, they found hope and strength in his continued faith. ROOTED IN SPIRITUALITY "In the midst of his losses, my father retained his sense of humor, his love for God and family, and his rock-solid belief that he remained always in God's hands," Colleen says. "Our culture tells us that those who suffer from dementia are already gone. But my father's example and the faith he imparted to me tell me something else—that persons with dementia still bear the image of God and still have gifts to offer." Her father's faith and family's strength were the inspiration for Colleen's latest book, titled My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir. Her family has also helped shape her career as a public speaker and prolific writer of content championing the causes of those with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. In August, Colleen will share some of her personal experiences as the keynote speaker at the Excellence in Ethics Symposium hosted by HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital. "This symposium offers a rare opportunity for people from various disciplines and walks of life to come together and talk about the Alzheimer's epidemic," Colleen says. "We'll look at this epidemic from our shared human perspective as people affected by this disease and searching for ways to cope with it––ways that are consistent with our deepest values." FAITH THAT SUSTAINS AND INSPIRES The cost to register for the Excellence in Ethics Symposium is $25 and includes lunch. For more information on the symposium, call 715.717.6594. Engaging Our Aging Population: A Person- Centered Approach On August 19, join us for this event designed to honor and support people caring for the specific needs of aging adults, including those who face dementia. Speakers include author of My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir, print and broadcast journalist, and former creator and host of the EWTN's Faith & Culture, Colleen Carroll Campbell; national leader and educator in geriatric medicine, Father Myles Sheehan, SJ, MD; and Director of the Avila Institute of Gerontology, Sr. M. Peter Lillian Di Maria, O.Carm. BEFORE SHE PENNED HER FIRST BOOK, BECAME A PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITER, OR BEGAN A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN JOURNALISM, COLLEEN CARROLL CAMPBELL CAME FACE TO FACE WITH THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND THE POWER THAT FAITH CAN HAVE WHEN FAMILIES FACE THIS DIFFICULT DIAGNOSIS. 1 4 I N S P I R I N G H E A LT H