Charity Begins at Home Games

Carrie Hughes and Carolyn Brown (pictured left) during the Better Halves Heart Disease Awareness Night last season with the Cleveland Clinic's Gina Cronin and Frank Petrovic

By Matthew K. Weiland

ANYONE WHO HAS CARED FOR SOMEONE suffering from Alzheimer's Disease not only understands the depths of sadness and frustration afflicting his or her loved one, but also the mystery surrounding the disease as well. Why does this happen to otherwise healthy people? What specifically occurs in someone's brain tissue that utterly strips away a patient's recognition of family and friends, not to mention a person's own sense of self? Is there anything one can do to prevent the disease? Will there ever be a cure?

While the answers to these questions often seem mountain tops away, the Cleveland Cavaliers Better Halves will nonetheless rekindle the conversation regarding the disorder while inaugurating their second season with Alzheimer's Awareness Night on Saturday as the Cavs face off against the Boston Celtics at The Q, reminding fans of one of the greatest challenges facing medicine today and the ultimate victory over the disorder that hopefully awaits.

"The Better Halves was started in an effort to bring together the significant women in the lives of The Cleveland Cavaliers players, coaches and basketball staff," says Carolyn Brown, wife of Coach Mike Brown and among the founders of the group. "The catalyst behind the Better Halves is the desire for a 'family' atmosphere in a profession in which a lot of times we are away from one another. The Better Halves come together and host Awareness Nights in which we've had a family member or close friend affected by an illness or an issue that means a great deal to us and hopefully the community as well."

Begun during the 2005-06 season, the Better Halves held Autism Awareness and Heart Disease Awareness nights last year along with more informal events which included delivering presents to the Cleveland Christian Home during the holiday season and spending time making arts and crafts with parents and patients at The Cleveland Clinic.

This year, in addition to Alzheimer's Awareness Night, the group has selected awareness nights addressing and instructing about such afflictions as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, autism, heart disease and health care for the homeless. It's a way to keep the conversation going concerning the real-life health issues facing us everyday, a way to keep those who are dealing with the challenges of health-related issues in our thoughts and prayers, as well as the people who care for them.

In some ways, it's a means of letting people know they are not alone.

THE TRADEOFF OF LIVING LONGER SEEMS TO BE that we as humans become more susceptible to the degenerative diseases and disorders that accompany aging. Yet, according to the Alzheimer's Association, the disease is not a normal part of aging, and thus we shouldn't resign ourselves to the notion of its inevitability nor its conquest over us.

"The impact of Alzheimer’s on individuals, families and our health-care system makes the disease one of our nation’s greatest medical, social and economic challenges," states the association, noting that an estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, a number that has more than doubled since 1980. Furthermore, the number of Americans with the disease will continue to grow and by the year 2050 the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s could range from 11.3 million to 16 million. "Finding a treatment that could delay the onset by five years could reduce the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease by nearly 50 percent after 50 years."

In many ways, Alzheimer's Disease is one of the greatest equalizing afflictions facing humanity. It can strike anyone, anywhere, regardless of gender, race, economic strata, or educational background. In a Gallup poll commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Association, 1 in 10 Americans said that they had a family member with Alzheimer’s and 1 in 3 knew someone with the disease. In addition, one in 10 individuals over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 are affected and there are even rare, inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease that can strike individuals as early as their 30s and 40s.

Meanwhile, a search for the cure continues on at a greater rate than ever. The Alzheimer’s Association has awarded more than $185 million in research grants since 1982 and, since that time, early diagnosis has been able to improve the health of individuals, thus improving the quality of life for patients and their families.

Perhaps more than any other human affliction, Alzheimer's Disease serves as a reminder of how arbitrary and absurd life can sometimes be. Yet, it can also serve as a reminder to us all that life is about appreciating moments and, through the work of such groups as the Cavs Better Halves, we become more aware of those moments and cherish them all the more.

"The Better Halves short and long term goals are to build a strong foundation within our group and then to extend that to the community," says Carolyn Brown. "The Better Halves as a whole are concerned about community issues that affect the Greater Cleveland Area. We continue to find ways to become more involved and make a difference. Our hope as a group is to continue to raise awareness in the community for the important issues that affect those around us."