Photo courtesy of Ryan Lipparelli
University of Nevada, Reno junior Ryan Lipparelli (middle) poses for photo with his grandmother Colleta Stroup (right) and his grandfather Robert Stroup (left) on Friday, Jan. 9 in Fargo, North Dakota. Lipparelli, whose grandmother has been affected by Alzheimer’s for over three years, plans to start a nonprofit to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.

By Jennifer Marbley

Ryan Lipparelli, a junior at the University of Nevada, Reno, shared the story of his grandmother, Colleta Stroup and her battle with Alzheimer’s disease with students in the Reynolds School of Journalism’s Linn Reading Room on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Lipparelli hopes to create the first Alzheimer’s awareness group at UNR.
“This group is to spread as much awareness as possible,” Lipparelli said. “My long term goal is to fundraise enough money to have a concert on campus with a band to come and perform for Alzheimer’s awareness.”
Lipparelli plans to donate the proceeds from ticket sales donated directly to Alzheimer’s research.
Lipparelli said that he was initially inspired to take part in raising awareness about the degenerative disease after learning about comedian Seth Rogen’s nonprofit organization called Hilarity for Charity that encourages universities to raise donations towards Alzheimer’s research. Rogen will perform a live stand-up routine at the school that raises the most donations.
However, Lipparelli’s favorite comedian wasn’t his only inspiration for starting an Alzheimer’s awareness group. Lipparelli witnessed the devastating effects of the disease in his own family.
“I recently rekindled the side of my family with my mom and extended family,” Lipparelli said. “On her side of the family, they have Alzheimer’s and I was exposed to how atrocious it really is.”
When Lipparelli visited Stroup in Fargo, North Dakota over winter break, he noticed the unsettling changes brought on by her inability to remember simple things. Lipparelli said that the experience was terrifying.
“Alzheimer’s is basically a devolution of the brain,” Lipparelli said. “You forget sophisticated human functions.”
Lipparelli said that Alzheimer’s causes the brain to return to a more childlike state, beginning with a loss of short-term memory. He noted that a person with Alzheimer’s might forget whether or not they have eaten, how to put on pants or how to use the restroom.
Lipparelli’s grandmother would often ask him questions such as, “Where are we going tonight?” over 50 times, forgetting the answer shortly thereafter. Simple activities such as riding in a car became difficult when after 5 minutes, Stroup forgot why they were driving or what their destination was.
“The sad thing is that’s so immediately frustrating, but then you’re grateful that she can even be asking those questions,” Lipparelli said. “Because it’s going to get to the point where these moments are going to be [cherished] compared to what I’ll be dealing with.”
Carmen Lipparelli, Lipparelli’s mother, has also witnessed the effects of the disease firsthand.
“To watch a loved one slowly disappear because of Alzheimer’s is so hard,” Carmen said. “It makes you reflect on the time you could have spent with them while they were well — you wish you had spent more time together.”
Carmen considers Alzheimer’s to be similar to cancer because even people who are extremely healthy can be susceptible to the disease. While Alzheimer’s is a genetic disease, there are preventive measures that young people can take to stay healthy.
According to the National Institution on Aging, habits such as not smoking or drinking can reduce chances of developing issues with memory loss in later years. A balanced and low-fat diet has been shown to keep people healthy, both mentally and physically.
Although her family is going through a difficult time, Carmen said that the disease has brought them closer together for support. Carmen said that their family started making healthier lifestyle choices to help offset Alzheimer’s.
Lipparelli said that he wants to get the message of Alzheimer’s prevention out to young people and create a network of support for people whose families are affected by the disease.
“I think it’s great to introduce [Alzheimer’s awareness] to college campuses that early drinking and abuse of certain substances at early ages can lead to memory issues,” Carmen said.
While his proposed nonprofit does not have a name yet, Lipparelli plans to unite other students who have family affected by the illness.
Senior Mary-Kate Reilly, Lipparelli’s girlfriend, is also a member of the Alzheimer’s awareness group. Like Lipparelli, Reilly also struggled when she saw her grandmother suffer from dementia. Reilly said that she hopes that the awareness group will also be a source of emotional support for students.
“I hope people see this group for more than just an Alzheimer’s awareness volunteer opportunity, but also a place to feel safe and comfortable, talking about feelings regarding our older parents and grandparents,” Reilly said.
Lipparelli encourages students who are interested in helping to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s research to contact him about future meetings at Ryanlee.facebook@yahoo.com.
Jennifer Marbley can be reached at rhernandez@sagebrush.unr.edu on Twitter @TheSagebrush.