My grandmother, Nana
as we call her, was one of the sweetest women I have ever had the pleasure of
meeting. Her skills at a sewing machine inspired me early on to pursue a career
in the fashion industry. Her talents certainly did not end there. Whether she
was making her world famous bacon spaghetti sauce or sending me and my siblings
just because packages, she added her magic touch to everything. She was a very
imaginative story teller when bed time came around and she always had a fresh
98 pack of Crayola crayons for me and my brother when we would visit. On our
weekend visits, Nana would have her friends over for coffee, and as an aspiring
movie star at the time, I would act as their entertainment, singing whatever
song I had recently mastered. She would be sad to know that I have yet to make
my Broadway debut. As am I.
I remember very
excitedly finding one of my mom's child hood baby doll cribs in the basement at
Nana's house. I had a baby doll, and a baby doll bed, but no bedding. I needed
bedding THAT night. So Nana, being the sweet lady that she is stayed up with me
past midnight to sew brand new bedding (blanket, sheets, pillow, and any/all
other totally unnecessary bedding for a baby doll) for the crib so my baby doll
could sleep tightly. This woman was a saint. I took up an interest in sewing
some years after that and began making things myself. In high school I made a
tote bag out of upholstery fabric that turned out perfectly. Since over the
years Nana had made so many nice things for me, I decided to give her the first
thing I ever made with a sewing machine. We were visiting for the weekend and I
was so excited to give her the bag that Friday. She was so impressed with my
sewing skills and loved the bag. On Sunday, when it was time to go, she came up
to me and told me that she had made me something. Excited, I followed her to
the sewing room to receive the very bag that I had made for her as a gift. I
didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This was when I knew something wasn't
right. Nana was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. 
Soon after, she began to
lose her talents in the kitchen and at the sewing machine, and has since lost
control of her mind and body. Though she is still living, I now have only
memories of the sweet grandmother that I was so fortunate to have as a child
growing up. For almost 12 years she has not been able to care for herself and
doesn’t remember any of us. We have slowly watched this awful disease take away
the sweet woman we love so dearly. When I heard about the opportunity to raise
money for Alzheimer's research, awareness, and care with a group of people who
struggle with the same heavy heart that I do, I was thrilled. I am so excited
for game day, but more importantly to promote a cause that could help Nana and
other people like her.
On May 18th, when I put on my Blondes jersey and strap
on my shoes, I will be playing for Nana.
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