NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Millions of families deal with the impacts of one of the world’s cruelest diseases — Alzheimer’s disease.
In Tennessee, nearly 130,000 people suffer from the disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Alzheimer’s was listed as the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2021.
Early symptoms include memory loss that disrupts daily life, confusion with time or place, and poor judgment. For years, the Alzheimer’s Association has hosted walks to raise awareness and funds for research.
Walkers get to host their own fundraisers as a team and Amanda Goddard is doing it from the comfort of her home by playing the piano.
“It’s amazing what music can do,” said Amanda Goddard, who developed a talent for playing the piano as a young girl. Her grandmother Jane, who couldn’t play, loved to listen.
“She loved coming to our concerts and would just come over when I was playing piano and just sit there and listen,” Goddard said.
Jane moved in with Goddard’s family after her husband died, becoming an integral part of Amanda’s life.
“She woke up at 4. Made her own breakfast. She had her own meal. She had friends,” Goddard said.
As they grew older, their relationship deepened.
“When I got my license, I’d drive her to the grocery store and we would go shopping,” she said.
But time and illness changed everything. Jane was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016.
“A doctor can give you a diagnosis and we should believe them. But it’s different because I’ve known her my whole life,” Goddard said. Now 93, Jane’s memories have faded.
“You could go up to her and say, ‘Hey Jane, how’s it going?’ and she’d say, ‘It’s going great, how are you?’” Goddard said.
Determined not to take a back seat, Amanda got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association, creating a team to raise money for their annual walks.
“I knew I wasn’t going to go door to door. That just wasn’t me,” Goddard said.
Instead, she used her piano-playing talent to raise funds.
“When you donate, you leave your email address. I say, ‘Hey, you earned a piano request. Drop your favorite song or whatever you’d like me to play. I’ll find the music, learn it, and post a picture of me playing it,’” Goddard explained.
Sometimes, she plays in front of her grandmother.
“Sometimes you’ll hear her little claps in the background. Even with Alzheimer’s and being sick, she’s there for me,” Goddard said.
The Nashville Walk to End Alzheimer’s was the fourth-largest walk in the nation last year, raising more than $1.35 million, according to The Alzheimer’s Association. This year it will be at a new location, First Horizon Park, home to the Nashville Sounds on Saturday, November 9th.
Register and donate here.
The walk in Rutherford County is scheduled for Saturday, November 2nd at Hayes Soccer Complex at Middle Tennessee State University.
Register and donate here.
Request and donate to Amanda's team, here.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
