O’Malley was just nine years old when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She lost her grandmother to the disease in 2010. She is an active volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter previously giving her time as an intern and participating in fundraisers such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and The Longest Day. O’Malley currently attends Stonehill College and created a club called Students to End Alzheimer’s Disease on campus.
Katherine O’Malley stands in front of the Capitol in Washington D.C.
“I want to show that there are young people across the country who want to be heard and want to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and I’d like to lead the charge of a youth movement in the U.S. to raise funds and push politics to do something about a disease that is so devastating,” said O’Malley.
The Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum seeks to educate members of Congress about the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. At the forum, O’Malley attended seminars on Alzheimer policy issues, networked with advocates across the country and had the opportunity to share her personal story on Capitol Hill with local members of Congress.
“The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading advocate for federal Alzheimer’s disease research funding and caregiver support,” said Austin Hodge, Manager of Public Policy for the Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter. “We cannot make a difference in the fight against Alzheimer’s without passionate advocates like Katherine.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and the only disease in the top 10 that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed. In 2015, more than 15 million caregivers provided an estimated 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care.
The Alzheimer Association provides services and programs for those with Alzheimer’s, family and professional caregivers in the form of support groups, a 24/7 Helpline, care consultation, advocacy efforts, and education programs. The Alzheimer’s Association is also the world’s leading nonprofit funder of research into causes, treatments and, someday, a cure. For more information about Alzheimer programs, visit alz.org/MANH or call 800.272.3900.
