HFC's Humans of Dementia Scholarship is open to high school and college scholars who have been impacted in some way by Alzheimer's disease. This scholarship focuses on storytelling as a tool to drive awareness and inspire change about Alzheimer's disease. Students are invited to submit a written or photo profile of someone living with Alzheimer's disease or who passed away from the disease.
Humans of Dementia Scholars
College Essay Scholars
“Time got the best of us, and eventually she forgot that I didn’t like coffee, but kept offering anyways; with time, I had to cook the rice and beans by 10am to make sure she ate; with time, I made the jokes and told the stories to see her smile; with time, I kept the house pristine, but always fell short because the standards were too high. And with time, the goodbyes from the balcony shifted to kissing her goodbye in a nursing home because caring for her became more challenging than I could ever imagine.”
“My Grandmother was diagnosed with vascular dementia. While I'm thankful that she lived with us for several years, it was a difficult time. Seeing my mom struggle to care for my grandmother who was dealing with incontinence and sundowning was heartbreaking. My grandmother initially was in denial about her diagnosis and gave us a hard time for, what she perceived as, "treating her like a child."
“In the living room of my Grandma’s house, there always was a gentle ambiance, like the sound of a comforting melody. Before the onset of Alzheimer's, Grandma Carol was a musician of life. Her fingers danced effortlessly across the keys of the piano, conjuring melodies that filled the room with enchantment. She wasn't just a pianist; she was a conductor of joy, orchestrating laughter and harmony wherever she went.”
College Photo Scholars
.png)
High School Essay Scholars
“He shuffled across the floor slowly but surely. I watched him, and waited for him to notice me. He never did. He kept shuffling, his puppy close to his heels. Papa had always loved to play a game of checkers with me, but he looked at the board I had set up on the table and kept shuffling past me. I hadn't realized until then how bad he had gotten.”
“I called her little Grandma. In my mind, my impression of her will always be contingent on her colorful outfits, the ones she wore every time we would play ‘pretend doctor’ together. Besides games we would play, I most enjoyed the various stories she would tell me when I visited. Pulling up a small wooden stool, I would place myself in between her on the worn auburn couch and the small glass coffee table, listening intently to every detail of her stories.”
“Often, I found myself staring at my grandfather as he smiled at me with his infectious grin, hoping he would always remember me. Fast forward to last year, he no longer waited for us in the driveway. I missed feeling his loving embrace when I saw him. My heart ached when we entered and found him sitting in his chair staring off into space. Sometimes, he paced back and forth, trying to understand where he was and desperately wanting to escape.”
“Venus, a planet, a Roman goddess, and also a patient in memory care. I tried to piece together everything I could find out about Venus. I knew I couldn’t rely on her memories, so I pieced together her life from photos. I knew her memories were scattered in darkness like the stars in space. Looking at her photos made me realize why her name is Venus. Just like the Greek God, she was beautiful in her prime. I could tell that she had some of the most amazing experiences. I remember wishing that she could remember all of them instead of glimpses of them flashing through her mind like a shooting star.”
High School Photo Scholars
