"My husband won't tell me his first name."

de-men-tia A chronic or persistent disorder of the mental process caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. In 1975 there were 500,000 people with Alzheimer’s disease in the USA. Now there are 5.5 million and that number will triple by mid century. It has been 100 years since Alzheimer’s was discovered and there has yet to be an effective treatment. In fact, the US spends more money on Viagra, popcorn and anti-aging cream than in dementia research. If we live to be 85 years old 40% of us will have Alzheimer’s and 50% of us will be caring for someone who has dementia. Ultimately, at the end stages of the disease, many will be warehoused in understaffed, under-skilled nursing homes leading to social isolation and overmedicated with sedatives and within 6 months 50% will die. We must address this as a socio-cultural issue until, or if the scientists develop a cure. The first step is to humanize a truly dehumanizing disease. Behind these statistics are people with a full range of emotions: humor, anger, longing, fear, love and hope. I am a neurologist and photographer and these are my patients. My hope is for viewers to awaken and find meaning in these portraits. Look at these portraits as if you are looking in a mirror. It is our destiny. “When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened.” Mark Twain