<\/p>\n
Jack Schumacher rides his bike. His daughter, Rylee, runs beside him. And together, the Erie father\u2011daughter duo is pushing through 100 miles this month \u2014 not for speed, but for something far more personal.<\/p>\n
June marks Alzheimer\u2019s and Brain Awareness Month, and the Schumacher\u2019s are using the challenge to raise money for Jack\u2019s care as he enters his second decade living with early\u2011onset Alzheimer\u2019s disease. A GoFundMe organized by the family is helping cover the growing costs of around\u2011the\u2011clock support.<\/p>\n
For Rylee, the miles aren\u2019t the point.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about the time,\u201d she said. \u201cKnowing that each day I\u2019m losing little bits and pieces of my dad is definitely the hardest thing that I\u2019ll ever have to do or go through. But that makes being able to spend so much time with him right now so much more important.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jack was diagnosed at 52. Now in his 60s, he struggles with memory, speech and daily functioning. Some days he responds to \u201cDad.\u201d Other days, only \u201cJack\u201d gets his attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlzheimer\u2019s changes who the person is,\u201d Rylee said. \u201cYou lose them twice. You lose them with their personality, and then you lose them in the end, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, she holds tightly to the father she remembers \u2014 the one she calls the most caring person she has ever known.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe genuinely doesn\u2019t have a bad bone in his body,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019d be doing so much for other people, but he can\u2019t now. So it\u2019s our turn to help him.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One thing the disease hasn\u2019t taken is Jack\u2019s love of movement. Most days, he pedals his bike while Rylee runs alongside him through Presque Isle or their neighborhood. They\u2019ve become a familiar pair on the trails.<\/p>\n
Rylee believes staying active has helped preserve her father\u2019s quality of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cMovement truly is medicine,\u201d she said. \u201cAs long as he\u2019s able to keep moving, we\u2019re going to keep doing it because it makes him happy and keeps him healthy \u2014 and it makes me happy and keeps me healthy too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talking about the emotional toll is harder. During an interview, Rylee paused as she described watching her father\u2019s personality fade.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely the hardest thing that we\u2019ll ever have to do,\u201d she said. \u201cLosing my dad\u2019s personality\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She stopped, collected herself, and continued.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not a day that goes by where I\u2019m not happy that I get to spend my entire day with my dad.\u201d<\/p>\n