JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — It’s now been eight years since Anne Burris lost her mother to Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease affects roughly one out of every eight people in Duval County above the age of 65.
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“It’s debilitating, it brings people back to a childlike state, to worse than a childlike state,” Burris outlined. “And there are so many people who are affected by it.”
Burris has just completed the trek of a lifetime in her mother’s memory, and to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. Over 68 days, Burris hiked roughly 550 miles, all the way from the border of France to the beautiful coasts of Spain as part of the Camino de Santiago, stamping pages in her trek passport as she went.
However, Burris told Action News Jax Thursday the trek wasn’t always easy.
“The weather was the challenge,” Burris explained. “There was some rain and then also 55-mile-an-hour winds. Of course, here in Florida, we’re used to tropical storms. So think of tropical storm winds, and they’re coming right at your face. And so you can’t make forward motion because of the wind.”
Nonetheless, Burris pushed forward knowing what each step stood for: raising awareness for a disease that took the life of her mother and many others.
Burris also raised roughly $2,000 along the way.
Now, Burris hopes the trek leaves a message behind for all to take something away from.
“If you think step by step, just like anything in life, any problem you’ve got to get through, like helping a loved one through Alzheimer’s, if you can condense it down to steps, to manageable steps, then anything is possible.”
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Anyone interested in becoming involved with the Alzheimer’s Association and raising awareness and funds for treatment and research can find that information by clicking the link here.
For resources and information, people can call the Alzheimer’s Association’s free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900 and talk to a trained professional.
For more info and to support the cause of The Longest Day, people can go to alz.org/TLD and search for Anne Burris or A Pilgrimage for a Cure.
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