RICHMOND, Va. -- The Alzheimer's Association will hold its 20th Annual Dementia Conference Wednesday, March 26, at the Science Museum of Virginia.
The event will provide insights, practical resources, and support networks to help navigate the journey of dementia care.
But the event is not only for caregivers; it’s also for those living with dementia right now.
Attendees will have the chance to hear from 49-year-old Natasha Jasso Smith, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia two years ago after a months-long battle to get doctors to understand her symptoms.
"It slowly takes your identity away," Jasso Smith shared. "It takes your power away. You feel helpless, and that causes a lot of frustration."
The average lifespan from the onset of the disease is seven to 13 years, but Jasso Smith says she’s progressing slower than the average person with this form of dementia.
The mother of four from Fredericksburg will share her story at the conference, including some of the poetry she’s written about living with the disease.
"I could sit up here and say about my symptoms, but when I read my poetry, it really puts the emotion, what I'm feeling with this disease, into my story," she expressed. "And I think when you capture emotions, it's a lot easier to understand people."
Jasso Smith says it’s become her mission to speak on behalf of those who may not be able to speak for themselves.
"I want to be the face of dementia because I want the stigma of a little old lady in a nursing home staring out the window—I don't want that to be dementia,” she noted. “I want people to know there are people like me who are trying to navigate a normal life, trying to raise a family, trying to do day-to-day tasks that are not in their 80s. It is very difficult for people like me to live with this disease without any education out there."
Next week’s conference will also feature art, music, and movement activities for those living with dementia.
For more information, including how to sign up, visit https://www.alz.org/grva/events#Conference.
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