Usuku Lomhlaba Lwe-Alzheimer's

“Sawubona Mzukulu,” ngasho ngingena ekamelweni elingenalutho, kodwa eliduduzayo ngendlela exakile, lesikhungo sokunakekela asebekhulile. Lapho wayehlezi, indoda eyayihlale iyisithunzi esivelele ekuphileni kwami, engangimbiza ngokuziqhenya ngokuthi uBabamkhulu kanye nokhokho endodaneni yami enonyaka owodwa ubudala. Wabonakala emnene futhi ezolile, elele onqenqemeni lombhede wakhe wasesibhedlela. U-Collette, ugogo wami osingamzali, wayeqikelele ukuthi ubukeka emuhle, kodwa amehlo akhe ayebonakala ekude, elahlekile ezweni elingaphezu kwamandla ethu. Nginendodana yami, ngasondela ngokuqapha, ngingaqiniseki ukuthi lokhu kuxoxisana kwakuzokwenzeka kanjani.

Njengoba imizuzu ihamba, ngazithola ngihlezi eduze kukaMkhulu, ngixoxa ngasohlangothini olulodwa ngekamelo lakhe nefilimu yaseNtshonalanga emnyama nemhlophe edlala kumabonakude. Nakuba izimpendulo zakhe zaziyindlala, ngathola umuzwa wenduduzo ebukhoneni bakhe. Ngemva kwalokho kubingelela kokuqala, ngaziyeka iziqu futhi ngambiza ngegama lakhe. Wayengasangiboni njengomzukulu wakhe noma umama wami njengendodakazi yakhe. I-Alzheimer's, ngasekupheleni kwayo, yayimphuce ngonya lokho kuxhumana. Naphezu kwalokhu, engangikulangazelela kwakuwukuchitha isikhathi naye, ngibe yinoma ubani ayengibona nginguye.

Ngingazi, lokhu kuvakasha kwaba okokugcina ukubona umkhulu ngaphambi kokuya esibhedlela. Ezinyangeni ezine kamuva, ukuwa kabuhlungu kwaholela ekuphukeni kwamathambo, futhi akazange abuyele kithi. Isikhungo sokunakekela abagulela ukufa asizange sinikeze induduzo kuMkhulu kuphela, kodwa nakuCollette, umama, nezingane zakubo ngalezo zinsuku zokugcina. Njengoba eshintsha kulokhu kuphila, angikwazanga ukuzibamba kodwa ngezwa sengathi wayesesuka kancane kancane endaweni yethu kule minyaka embalwa edlule.

Umkhulu wayengumuntu ovelele eColorado, owayengummeleli wezwe ohlonishwayo, ummeli ohlonishwayo, nosihlalo wezikhungo eziningi. Ebusheni bami, wayebonakala emkhulu, ngenkathi ngisazama ukuhamba ebusheni bami ngaphandle kokulangazelela kakhulu isikhundla noma ukuhlonishwa. Ukuhlangana kwethu kwakungavamile, kodwa lapho ngithola ithuba lokuba naye, ngangifuna ukubamba ithuba lokumazi kangcono umkhulu.

Phakathi nokuqhubekela phambili kwe-Alzheimer's, kukhona okushintshile kuMkhulu. Indoda eyaziwa ngokuba nengqondo ekhaliphile yaqala ukuveza uhlangothi eyayiluqaphile—ukufudumala kwenhliziyo yayo. Ukuvakasha kukamama kwamasonto onke kwakhuthaza izingxoxo ezithambile, zothando, nezinengqondo, njengoba nje ukukhuluma kwakhe kwancipha, futhi ekugcineni, akazange akhulume. Ukuxhumana kwakhe noCollette kwahlala kunganqamuki, okufakazelwa yiziqinisekiso ayezifuna kuye ngesikhathi ngivakashele esikhungweni sabahlengikazi.

Sekudlule izinyanga uBabamkhulu edlula emhlabeni, futhi ngizithola ngizindla ngombuzo okhathazayo: singafinyelela kanjani izimanga ezimangalisayo njengokuthumela abantu enyangeni, kodwa nokho sisabhekene nosizi lwezifo ezifana ne-Alzheimer's? Kungani kwadingeka ukuba ingqondo ehlakaniphe kangaka ihambe kulo mhlaba ngenxa yesifo sezinzwa esiwohlokayo? Nakuba umuthi omusha unikeza ithemba nge-Alzheimer's esanda kuqala, ukungabi khona kwekhambi kushiya abantu abafana noBabamkhulu bebekezelela ukulahlekelwa ngokwabo kanye nomhlaba wabo kancane kancane.

Ngalolu Suku Lomhlaba Lwe-Alzheimer, ngiyaninxusa ukuba nidlulele ngale kokuqaphela nje futhi nicabange ngokubaluleka komhlaba ongenaso lesi sifo esibuhlungu. Uke wakubona ukusulwa kancane kwezinkumbulo, ubuntu, kanye nengqikithi yothandekayo ngenxa ye-Alzheimer's? Cabanga ngezwe lapho imikhaya isinda osizini lokubuka abathandekayo bayo beshabalala. Bona ngeso lengqondo umphakathi lapho izingqondo ezihlakaniphile njengomkhulu zingaqhubeka ukwabelana ngokuhlakanipha nolwazi lwazo, zingalawulwa yizingqinamba zokuphazamiseka kwemizwa.

Cabanga ngomthelela ojulile wokulondoloza ingqikithi yobudlelwano bethu esibathandayo - ukuzwa injabulo yokuba khona kwabo, kungasindwa yisithunzi se-Alzheimer's. Kule nyanga, masibe abenzeli boshintsho, sisekele ucwaningo, sikhuthaze ukwenyuswa kwezimali, futhi siqwashise nge-Alzheimer's toll emindenini nakubantu ngabanye.

Ngokubambisana, singasebenzela ikusasa lapho i-Alzheimer's ifakwe emlandweni, futhi izinkumbulo zabathandekayo bethu zihlala zicacile, izingqondo zabo zihlala zikhanya. Ngokubambisana, singaletha ithemba nenqubekelaphambili, ekugcineni siguqule izimpilo zezigidi ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane. Masibone ngeso lengqondo umhlaba lapho izinkumbulo zihlala khona, futhi i-Alzheimer's iba isitha esikude, esinqotshiwe, esiqinisekisa ifa lothando nokuqonda.