Usuku lweHlabathi lwe-Alzheimer

“Molo Tatomkhulu,” ndatsho ndingena kwigumbi elingenazintsholongwane, kodwa lithuthuzele ngendlela engaqhelekanga, kwigumbi loncedo lokonga. Wayehleli ke, indoda eyayisoloko ingumntu obalaseleyo ebomini bam, lowo ndandizidla ngokuthi nguTatomkhulu noTamkhulu kunyana wam ononyaka ubudala. Wabonakala ethambile kwaye ezolile, ethe ngcu emphethweni webhedi yakhe yasesibhedlele. UCollette, umakhulu wam wesibini, wayeqinisekile ukuba ukhangeleka emhle, kodwa wayekhangeleka ekude, elahlekile kwihlabathi elingenakufikelelwa. Ndikunye nonyana wam, ndasondela ngononophelo, ndingaqinisekanga ukuba kuza kwenzeka njani oku.

Yathi ibaleka imizuzu, ndazibona ndihleli ecaleni kukaTatomkhulu, ndincokola ecala-nye ngegumbi lakhe nomboniso bhanyabhanya waseNtshona owawudlala kumabonakude. Nangona iimpendulo zakhe zazinqabile, ndafumana imvakalelo yokuthuthuzeleka phambi kwakhe. Emva kwaloo mbuliso yokuqala, ndaziyeka izibizo ndaza ndambiza ngegama lakhe. Ebengasaqapheli ukuba ndingumzukulwana wakhe okanye umama wam njengentombi yakhe. I-Alzheimer's, ekupheleni kwayo, yamhlutha ngenkohlakalo ezo nxibelelwano. Phezu kwako nje oku, ekuphela kwento endandiyinqwenela yayikukuchitha ixesha naye, ndibe nguye nabani na awayecinga ukuba ndinguye.

Ndingazi, olu tyelelo lwaba sisihlandlo sokugqibela ukumbona uTatomkhulu ngaphambi kokuba ndifike esibhedlele. Kwiinyanga ezine kamva, ukuwa kabuhlungu kwakhokelela ekubeni aphuke amathambo, yaye akazange abuyele kuthi. Iziko labagulela ukufa lathuthuzela kungekuphela nje uTatomkhulu, kodwa nakuCollette, umama, nabantwana bakowabo ebudeni bezo ntsuku zokugqibela. Njengoko wayesuka kobu bomi, andizange ndikwazi ukuzibamba ndavakalelwa kukuba wayesele ephuma ngokuthe ngcembe ebukumkanini bethu kule minyaka imbalwa idlulileyo.

Utatomkhulu wayengumntu obalaseleyo eColorado, owayesakuba ngummeli welizwe obekekileyo, igqwetha elidumileyo nosihlalo wamaziko amaninzi. Ebutsheni bam, wayebonakala emkhulu, ngeli lixa ndandisazama ukubhenela kubuntu obutsha ngaphandle komnqweno omkhulu wokufumana iwonga okanye imbeko. Ukudibana kwethu kwakungafane kwenzeke, kodwa ndathi ndakufumana ithuba lokuba kufutshane naye, ndandifuna ukuxhakamfula elo thuba lokumazi ngakumbi uTatomkhulu.

Phakathi kokuqhubekela phambili kwe-Alzheimer's, kukho into etshintshileyo kuTatomkhulu. Indoda eyaziwa ngokuba nengqondo ekrelekrele yaqalisa ukutyhila icala eyayililindile—ubushushu bentliziyo yayo. Undwendwelo lukaMama lweveki ngeeveki lukhuthaze incoko ethambileyo, enothando, kunye nenentsingiselo, naxa ukuthetha kwakhe kwehla, kwaye ekugqibeleni, akazange athethe. Unxibelelwano lwakhe noCollette lwahlala lungophukanga, lubonakala kwisiqinisekiso awayesifuna kuye kutyelelo lwam lokugqibela kwiziko lokonga.

Sele kudlule iinyanga emva kokusweleka kukaTatomkhulu, kwaye ndizifumanisa ndicingisisa ngombuzo ondikhathazayo: singafikelela njani imimangaliso efana nokuthumela abantu enyangeni, kanti sisajongene nokungcungcutheka kwezifo ezifana ne-Alzheimer's? Kwakutheni ukuze ingqondo ekrelekrele ngolo hlobo imke kweli hlabathi ngenxa yesifo semithambo-luvo? Nangona iyeza elitsha linika ithemba kwi-Alzheimer's eqala kwangethuba, ukungabikho konyango kushiya abantu abafana noTatomkhulu ukuba banyamezele ukuphulukana neziqu zabo kunye nehlabathi labo ngokuthe ngcembe.

Ngolu Suku lweHlabathi lwe-Alzheimer's, ndiyakubongoza ukuba udlulele ngaphaya kokuqonda kwaye ucinge ngokubaluleka kwehlabathi elingenaso esi sifo sibuhlungu. Ngaba ukubonile ukucinywa kancinci kweenkumbulo zomntu omthandayo, ubuntu bakhe, kunye nesiseko ngenxa ye-Alzheimer's? Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wehlabathi apho iintsapho zisindisiwe kwintlungu yokubukela abo babathandayo besifa. Yiba nombono webutho labantu apho iingqondo ezikrelekrele njengoTatomkhulu zinokuqhubeka sabelane ngobulumko namava abo, zingathotyelwa yimiqobo yokuphazamiseka kwemithambo-luvo.

Qwalasela ifuthe elinzulu lokulondoloza undoqo wobudlelwane bethu esibathandayo- sifumana uvuyo lobukho babo, singothuswa sisithunzi se-Alzheimer's. Kule nyanga, masibe zii-arhente zotshintsho, sixhasa uphando, sikhuthaze ukongezwa kwenkxaso-mali, kwaye siphakamise ulwazi malunga ne-Alzheimer's's's toll kwiintsapho nakubantu ngabanye.

Sikunye, singasebenzela ikamva apho i-Alzheimer's inikezelwe kwimbali, kwaye iinkumbulo zabo sibathandayo zihlala zicacile, iingqondo zabo zihlala ziqaqambile. Sikunye, sinokuzisa ithemba kunye nenkqubela phambili, ekugqibeleni siguqule ubomi bezigidi kwizizukulwana ezizayo. Masibe nombono wehlabathi apho iinkumbulo zinyamezela, kwaye i-Alzheimer's iba lutshaba olukude, oloyisiweyo, oluqinisekisa ilifa lothando nokuqonda.