Caruso Family Memorial Fund

I am fundraising for the funeral and recent loss of my father, Sam Caruso. Life granted me the blessing of a father who cherished the little things from laughs at the dinner table to road trips to nature. 

In late 2015, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This illness causes memory loss, inability to carry out basic daily tasks such as brushing your teeth or cooking, and the inability to carry a conversation. In its later stages, it affects the brain and slowly shuts down vital organs. This illness is currently incurable and there are only medications available to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It has become increasingly common in older adults, especially baby-boomers. Although my father passed away in September, it feels that I began to lose him when he was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s because he began to forget who me and my mother were. But the smile that came across his face whenever we were present was enough to show that he remembered us. 

My father put up a fight against this illness until September 16, 2021. I visited him on his final night and was able to give him one last hug and I played him his favorite music by Frank Sinatra, including “Fly Me to the Moon.” He became very ill with pneumonia, sepsis, some fractured bones, and a number of other infections which became difficult to treat. Words cannot express the love that my family has for my father who is now in our hearts. A few days before my father had passed away, he was getting better and he was supposed to return home. But God could not wait to offer my father a new home in Heaven, one where he no longer has to suffer. My family and I are never going to forget the love we have for my father along with all of the memories we have made.

Despite the difficulties that come along with caring for someone who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, my mother and I did our best in making sure that my father had the highest quality of life by taking him on road trips to the beach and his favorite Italian restaurants. I took a year off from college to help care for my father at home and to spend time with him during 2020, and I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’m never gonna forget our last Christmas together last year, where my father danced the night away with my mother under the tree while we listened to Glen Miller’s “In the Mood.” If there was one thing he didn’t forget, it was how to dance. And whenever my father saw someone he loved in the room, such as his wife, his brother, his cat, or me, he had the biggest smile on his face.

Watching your loved one change before your eyes with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is heartbreaking and my heart goes out to anyone else dealing with a loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. I decided to create this GoFundMe when I realized my family has faced significant financial challenges following the loss of my father where my mother struggled to afford my father’s funeral expenses and outstanding debt where she has had to take out loans. I would like to help my mother in any way that I can to alleviate the stress she already has with grief. We were gratefully able to gather and give my father, Sam Caruso, the memorial he deserved, in honor of his memory where we gave our last goodbyes with the assistance of other family members. 

Anything and everything helps!! God Bless, and my prayers are with the families who may also have a loved one that is battling Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.