Support Don and Kim's Journey Through Alzheimer's

My brother-in-law and sister, Don and Kim Greenlese, have recently had their world turned upside down. Don is 58 years old and married to my sister, Kim. They were high school sweethearts and will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary this November. They have two amazing grown kids, Hailee (30) and Zak (27). Don has suffered from “undiagnosed” sleep apnea for quite a few years and more recently was dealing with short-term memory loss and difficulty remembering simple tasks. A sleep study was ordered in January and an appointment with a neurologist was set. Kim and Don believed the study would yield an official diagnosis of sleep apnea and a CPAP machine would be the treatment. After further testing by the neurologist, Don was referred to the Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center, where more extensive testing was performed. It was here that their worst fear was realized and Don received the diagnosis of Primary Aggressive Aphasia and Early Onset Alzheimer’s.

While Don is officially my brother-in-law, he has been a part of our family since I was in elementary school and is truly more like the older brother I always hoped I’d had. Don is one of the kindest, hardest working, and humble persons I know. He is a man of faith and is an amazing husband to my sister, Kim, and dad to Hailee and Zak. He never hesitates to put his “to do list” or “free time” aside to help a friend or family member in need.

To add to this nightmare, shortly after the start of the year, in early February, at the same time Don was beginning his medical journey, he went into work one morning and was completely blindsided and let go from his job. This job loss also meant he lost his health benefits, which has created a whole other series of problems for them to deal with.

With the loss of Don’s income, and medical bills and monthly expenses piling up, Kristi and I decided to reach out to the community that Kim and Don have always showed up for and ask for help. It was not an easy task as Kim and Don are both very humble and would never ask for any “hand-outs”. However, if you know Kim and Don personally, you know how much love they have put into their family, friends, church, and community. It is time for them to be on the receiving end.

Through it all, Don and Kim’s faith has been unwavering. They have taken each hit along the way with grace and looked to the Lord for guidance and hope. Don’s first and foremost concern is for Kim and Hailee and Zak. Don’s faith, lack of questioning “why me” and just wanting things to be okay for those closest to him is inspiring.

Don has agreed to try a new infusion drug therapy that just received FDA approval last October. There are some risks, and it will require several MRI's to check for brain bleeds as he proceeds with the infusions, but Don is willing to try anything. And if it doesn't help him, his hope is they can study his results to help someone else in the future. It is hopeful that this treatment, along with several other medications, will help to slow the stages of this awful disease. This treatment is costly and will involve much travel back and forth to Cleveland. This expense, coupled with normal monthly bills and the hopes that Don and Kim can continue to make memories together with their kids is the reason for this Go Fund Me. Any money raised will go directly to Don and Kim to help with medications/treatments, medical bills, travel to and from treatments, monthly expenses, and hopefully an opportunity for them to make some lasting memories in the time they are given.

We appreciate you listening to Don’s story. Any size donation is appreciated and will help Don and Kim focus on living in the present as they navigate this horrible disease and the unknown that lies ahead.