We've all heard one company or another trot out the old line that its employees are its most valuable resource. At Hostway, we're part team and part family. So when tragedy affects one, it resonates with us all.
For Chris Harl, a leading business development consultant at Hostway, the concern within his own family had been building for some time. His mother-in-law's health was deteriorating.
“Five years ago, I started noticing a change in my mother,” Harl's wife, Tarah, said. “I had an idea of what it might be, but since she was so young, I had to fight to get a diagnosis.”
Soon after celebrating her 61st birthday, Melanie Sullivan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Nationwide, someone is diagnosed every 67 seconds.
Alzheimer's is a progressive brain disease that slowly destroys cognitive abilities, eventually making even the simplest tasks difficult. Melanie's case was unusually early in its onset; symptoms normally appear after age 65.
“The hardest part for me is that my mother is not beside me to enjoy her granddaughters and give me motherly advice,” Tarah said.
Support efforts to end Alzheimer’s
To stand by Melanie, Chris and Tarah have coordinated with the Alzheimer’s Association to set up a Walk to End Alzheimer’s to take place September 19 to benefit Melanie and countless others living with the disease. Hostway has committed $500 towards matching employee donations before the walk date.
You can support them with a donation, or join the team to see how you can help. You can also visit Alz.org to learn more and find a Walk near you.
"Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success". -Henry Ford
The Alzheimer’s Association was founded with the intent of eliminating the disease through advancing research, to support and care for those affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia by promoting brain health.
“Our family is sincerely grateful that Hostway has decided to join us in our journey, supporting an effort that is so near and dear to our whole family,” Chris said.