Longtime Minneapolis real estate broker Emily Nicoll looks to mobilize an army of volunteers and donors in her family's efforts to combat Alzheimer’s and other dementia-inducing diseases.
Nicoll, who with her siblings and other family call themselves "Dianne's Army," is looking to raise at least $5,000 at the Alzheimer's Association's annual Walk, the world’s largest fundraiser to fight the disease, with events in over 600 other cities across the country.
The annual drive to raise funds at the Twin Cities Walk to End Alzheimer's is deeply personal for Nicoll, managing director and city leader for Transwestern Real Estate Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her mother, Dianne, lives with frontotemporal dementia, a progressive and terminal Alzheimer's-related brain disease.
"I used to feel like this disease was a private family matter and too heavy to share broadly, but now I know better," Nicoll, a 20-year industry veteran who was named last year to serve as Transwestern's city leader in Minneapolis, told CoStar News. "They call this 'the long goodbye' for a reason — watching your loved one change and disappear over years is devastating."
Over 7 million people in the United States live with Alzheimer's, and "even more staggering is the fact that nearly 12 million Americans are providing unpaid care to those that are suffering from Alzheimer's and other dementia-related diseases," Nicoll said.
"My Mama would be proud of how close her children are and how we’ve become brave in our advocacy on her behalf," Nicoll said. "I know I'm making a difference every year by sharing Mama's story."
The Twin Cities Walk is scheduled for Sept. 27 at Target Field in Minneapolis. Nicoll, who invites locals to walk with her, said anyone can donate to her drive to support Alzheimer's care and research.