The Difference Made by One Lady by Reagan

The Difference Made by One Lady by Reagan - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

Alzheimer’s disease has impacted my life in many ways. The person who impacted my life the most was my Nana, Lois B. Hood. In 2017, my Nana, was experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer’s. One day, she was walking down the highway near her home and was safely rescued by emergency first reponders who brought her to our home.
We live in the small town of Benson, North Carolina. My family lives in my Mom’s home place so it was familiar to Nana. The final factor that stopped her from driving was that she ran my step-brother who was sixteen off the road by driving on the wrong side. Thankfully, no one was injured and we took her license to prevent anything happening again.
It didn’t take long for her to progress and it was very difficult to watch. As the years progressed, we learned the best way to deal with my Alzheimer’s was to live in each moment. Laughter has always been said to be the best medicine and my family totally agrees.
My middle school and high school years were challenging at times because my Nana continued transitioning to different stages. I have learned the significance of being able to love and care for someone with Alzheimer’s or who is sick. Thankfully, we were able to bring help into our home to prevent Nana from going to the nursing homes. We have truly been blessed to be by her side. One thing for certain is that we didn’t have to go very far to visit our Nana.
The three words that I would use to explain what I learned from my Nana are: perseverance, optimism, and resilience. These three words have had a major significance in my life. They have encouraged me to always find the positive in everything and to never take a day for granted with your loved ones.
Through perseverance, I learned to hold on no matter how hard the moment may be and to endure and pursue my daily tasks and future dreams. I learned how to keep pushing through the difficult days and had hope for brighter days ahead. I have many memories and stories from my Nana and the hardships she experienced in her life. My Nana was a very strong willed and never met a stranger.
Optimism provides hope and strength to celebrate even the smallest things. I am a person who generally has a positive outlook and views the glass as half full. By having an open mind and thinking creatively, I was able to redirect my Nana when she was in a bad mood by distracting her with her childhood stories. Optimism is a key part of resilience.
Resilience is the inner strength that helped me get through hard times. The times when Nana became scared or angry, sad or frustrated, and even uncontrollable, I learned to adapt and recover quickly from difficulties which has helped me in my everyday life.
I never knew how strong I could be or how strong my mom was until we were faced with the challenges that accompanied Alzheimer’s. I learned that I was very much natured like my Nana through the stories her former students and family friends shared with me.
My weaknesses became my strengths. I learned to communicate with people of all ages, appreciate my vulnerabilities, grow from my mistakes and take good care of others.There is a lot to be said for accepting your weaknesses. It helped me improve myself. One of the best things I learned was how to convert my weaknesses into my strengths.
On January 1, 2023, my Nana transitioned into her final stage. She lived seven days without food and water. She was determined to settle all her business before she let go. Our family surrounded her with laughter like we always did and played her favorite Gospel hymns. My appreciation has grown for people in the healthcare field. I cannot say enough good things about Hospice and Senior Helpers.
I never wanted to leave her side and missed most days of school that week. She had always been there for me and I was determined to do the same for her. At 11:35 AM on January 8, 2023, my Nana peacefully passed with family surrounding her. She passed about twelve hours before her 89th birthday, that was January 9, 2023. Not long before she passed away, we told my Nana that she made it to her birthday and sang “Happy Birthday.” Within a few hours of singing to her, she transitioned to her heavenly home.
Community service is a big part of my life that I learned from my Nana. Through pageants, I have spread awareness of “POWER of 1” which makes people aware of how being kind and doing even the smallest good deed may change the life of someone else. I began “Smiles for Miles” in 2020 by traveling to local schools and sharing the importance of good dental health. I shared information with kindergarten and first grade students and it was the highlight of my day to see them smile when they opened their goody bags.
I will forever be grateful for all the things I learned from my Nana. She was a woman of honesty, giving, and integrity. I will always share what she meant to me and how she impacted my life with people around me.