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Perazich family walks in honor of an aunt

by Kate Daly

On Saturday, Oct. 7, Liliana Perazich of Menlo Park and her husband will carry their 2-month-old daughter and pull their 2-year-old daughter in a red wagon in a Memory Walk to honor her aunt, whose own memory is fading away.

Ms. Perazich will walk with her first cousin, Bill Davidovich, and his children, joining thousands of others in the Alzheimer's Association annual fundraiser on Treasure Island.

After her aunt was diagnosed with Alzheimer's five years ago, Ms. Perazich recalls how helpful it was to attend a discussion the Alzheimer's Association hosted at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

Her aunt is now in her 80s and living in a convalescent home in South San Francisco. Ms. Perazich takes her on outings in her wheelchair, and was delighted that on a recent visit her aunt recognized the family well enough to give them hugs.

Ms. Perazich remembers her aunt as an adventuresome woman who emigrated here from Montenegro 52 years ago, raised a family, and earned a journalism degree at San Francisco State later on in life.

With the goal of raising $500, Ms. Perazich sent out a bulk e-mail to family and friends. She quickly blew by that number with one donation from her real estate agent, Lynn Jason Cobb of Menlo Park, who gave $1,000 in honor of her own relative with Alzheimer's, a brother-in-law.

The Alzheimer's Association estimates that about 11,000 residents of San Mateo County suffer from the disease.

For more information about the walk, go to www.alznorcal.org.