Presumably, the Summitt family will be financially secure for decades to come. And thanks to a support group that is literally the size of the state of Tennessee, their family will never feel alone in this fight. While their family will face the type of stress they likely have never faced before, they at least will not have to also worry about how the house or car payments will be made, or how they’ll cover the costs of new tests or medication.

Sadly, most other YOAD families will have to face some of those issues. The Antcliff family did, and thousands of others – today – are trying to figure out a budget in a home where the primary financial contributor is either no longer able to work, or has had to work far less in order to care for their spouse.

Our goal at SAF is to find a way to help those families. The numbers of diagnosed YOAD sufferers is rising, and the financial options available to help them are shrinking. We want to take as much of the stress and worry away from YOAD families as possible, so they can concern themselves with what’s really important.

For more information about YOAD, or to find out how you can help support SAF, please email us through our contact form today!

Check out the new Sharon Antcliff Foundation website right now, and let us know your thoughts!

So, here’s the answer to the question. When SAF is funded and fully operational, what will we do?

The Sharon Antcliff Foundation is willing to consider all requests for assistance, as long as those requests follow these general guidelines:

- The request must be made by the primary caregiver of an Alzheimer’s patient, or by someone attempting to assist that caregiver
- The request must relate directly to the care of an Alzheimer’s patient

Requests that we’ll consider include, but are not limited to:

- Payment assistance for part-time, in-home care
- Transportation assistance for family members desiring to help with care
- Hotel stays for family members visiting to assist with care
- Rent and bill payment assistance for families struggling due to the costs of care
- Grocery purchases
- Assistance with unpaid medical bills not covered by the patient’s provider
- Payment for counseling services for caregivers

Requests that will not be considered include, but are not limited to:

- “I’m having a tough time with this. Can you get me a new TV?”
- “Can you call my family member and see if they need anything?”
- “We’d love to get away from all this for a week. How does Hawaii sound to you?”

Please do not assume that any request you have is unrealistic. If it can help ease the stress of a person acting as a primary caregiver, we want the opportunity to consider it. While we cannot meet every request we receive, we will do everything we can to assist you and your family with your needs, as they relate to your position as a primary caregiver.

It came to my attention earlier today that the unquestioned leader in the fight against this nasty disease – the Alzheimer’s Association – was under the impression that we viewed them in a negative light. I’m not sure if it’s as simple as a miscommunication, or if they were the victim of some misguided fire and passion on our part.

Whatever the reason, let me take a moment to make sure we are ALL on the same page. The Alzheimer’s Association has done more for Alzheimer’s patients and families TODAY than SAF has done in the last year. They are an incredible organization that is fighting daily to cure this disease, and to care for the caregivers. If anything we’ve said or done in the last year has put a question in their minds about how we view them, then I would like to publicly apologize to them.

The fact is, they can’t do all that needs to be done. Not enough funding, and not enough awareness. And that’s the reason I started SAF in 2009. We just want to try to fill in those gaps as they relate to families dealing with young-onset Alzheimer’s.

Hopefully one day soon, SAF will be able to take some of that pressure off of the shoulders of the Alzheimer’s Association, and really help them make an impact in this fight.

Thank you,
Kevin Antcliff

Words of YOAD

But at the end of the day, that’s just not realistic.

Until the time when we can jump back into the fight at full strength, please know that our hearts are still with all of those families dealing with this horrible disease.

Thank you.

Check our WARRIOR AUCTION LISTINGS here. Bid early, and bid often!!

But as bad as it’s been for many of us, I couldn’t imagine being the position of the family that needs our help this morning. As my family cared for my mom, we were fortunate to never have to face the thought of losing a house, falling behind on bills, or not being sure where our next meal would come from. Yet that’s exactly what this family is facing right now.

As they place the man who they’ve known as husband and father into a nursing home – a decision that is stressful beyond imagination all on its own – they also wonder about where they will live, how to keep a child in college, and how to keep their heads above water.

I’m not foolish enough to think that a 48-hour fundraiser will magically make all of their fears vanish. That said, if we can do something to help take the edge off, then we need to try.

I want SAF to make a real difference in the lives of this family. Alzheimer’s is going to win the war, but maybe we can take this battle. Don’t let the disease that’s going to take their father and husband get away with their home, their sanity, or their peace of mind, too.

Please donate anything you can today, and then ask your friends and family to join you. No family deserves to face this fight alone. Let’s all stand up and let them know that we’re right there fighting beside them. We all have a chance to be part of something incredible. We just need to make it happen.

Thank you,
Kevin Antcliff

Here’s the quick overview:

The husband is a hero. A firefighter who has put his life on the line hundreds of times for others, lost his brothers in devastating fires, and is loved by all who have ever worked with him. He has children – a young daughter in college, and a growing young boy. He has a wife. A fighter who we’re proud to know.

Only in his 50′s, he’s faced with the greatest fight he’s ever faced, as he’s one of the 250,000 known cases of young onset Alzheimer’s disease. This family epitomizes everything we’ve been telling you about for the last year.

The son, just a kid, has had to do things that no boy his age should ever do. No child that young should ever have to bathe and groom his father. It’s not right, but thank God that he’s strong enough to step up and do what his family needs him to do. When he survives this – and we need to make sure that he does – he’s going to be a powerhouse of a man.

This father was the financial supporter of the family. While we won’t go into much detail here, we’ll just say that the income has slowed, and nearly stopped, all because of this disease. Disability, medicare, his employers…they’ve all played a role. This family is in serious trouble. The family home is in IMMEDIATE danger of being lost. When we say “immediate,” we mean it. It’s a dire situation.

We found out last night that he’s being moved to a nursing home. While that’s a good thing, in that he’ll now receive the constant care that he needs, just think how awful it is for a family to have to face and make that decision. This isn’t their great-grandfather, it’s their husband and dad. And the financial strain of paying for this care is a major one, as well.

This is a family in true distress, and they need some Warriors to step up and help them. While we can’t discover a cure today, we can make sure that this family knows that SAF and our supporters stand behind them. We’re putting the call out for donations of any size. For the next 48 hours, every cent we bring in will be given directly to this heroic family. Maybe we can save the house, maybe not. But we can make a statement that families of YOAD will NOT be forgotten, and they will NOT be left behind.

What can you do? $10? $50? $500? More? Every donation will help, of course, but we ask that you give to them like you’d give to somebody in your family. They need a miracle, and we need you to help us make it happen.

To the upper right of this page, you’ll see an image asking you to “get in our corner.” Just click on that, and you’ll be taken to our donation page. PLEASE, give what you can. And once you’ve given, send the link to this story to everybody you know and ask that they give, and then forward this on to all who THEY know.

Thank you, on behalf of this family, for all that you’re about to do for them. If you have any questions, ideas, thoughts, etc., please contact us through our contact form.

As always, thank you for standing in our corner.