Shortly after Connecticut resident Dr. Richard Purdy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2007, he and his wife Gloria consulted a family friend in the medical field and their research soon led them to the North Shore-LIJ Health System’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, where Richard had twice participated in clinical trials.
Richard was put under the care of Peter Davies, the director of Feinstein’s Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease, and at a press conference on Thursday, recalled memories of his life while flipping through the pages of a family photo album.
“Yes, I do remember that,” Purdy said, looking through the album. “It was a great time.”
The Purdys and Davies also endorsed their support for Lavine’s recent request for voter approval on a referendum to bond $1 billion for Alzheimer’s research.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alzheimer’s Disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
“Make no mistake, research is the only way to get this done,” said Davies. “With increased funding, we may be able to find a cure for this disease one day. Without such funding, a cure will be that much more difficult to provide.”
The 10-year bond would be allocated from state taxes and would aid a research field that receives $400 million each year in federal funding, considerably less than the $6 billion annually put toward cancer research, according to a news release from the health system.
“We must not sit idly by while our loved ones and our neighbors are suffering,” Lavine said. “In this case, the word ‘neighbors’ is a term of morality and not a question of geography.”
Lavine, who represents New York’s 13th assembly district, said he was confident that New Yorkers would support his research referendum, and that “if we do this and set an example, other states will follow.”
Since Richard’s diagnosis, the Purdys have become advocates for increased funding for Alzheimer’s research as well as clinical trial participation.
“Before the clinical trials, and before we began to speak out, we felt like victims,” she said. “The medical field provided us with a wonderful life and now it’s our time to give back. This experience has been very empowering for us.”
Her husband agreed.
“We’ve had a great life,” Richard said.
