Until there's a cure, let's stand beside the families that need us most.

I started advocating back in 2021, far before I started competing in the Miss America Opportunity, and I chose Alzheimer's advocacy because it's personal. I've had two grandparents taken from me by this disease, and now I'm saying the longest goodbye to my grandpa. As heartbreaking as it is, my grandpa is the reason I fight to end Alzheimer's. 

The hardest thing about this disease is that it slowly takes someone piece by piece. It starts with forgotten names and misplaced items. Then one day, the person who used to make me ten pancakes for breakfast because I insisted ten was too little (it was way too much) begins slipping away right in front of me. My grandpa has moments where I still see glimpses of the man I have always known but Alzheimer's can remind you of how cruel this disease really is.

That is why this work has never been about a crown, a title, or a competition for me. It is about fighting for Louisianians, and people across our country, that are in doctors offices searching for answers. It is about supporting our caregivers carrying a burden they never expected to carry. It is about investing in research so fewer families have to experience the heartbreak mine has.

Through advocacy, fundraising, education, and legislative efforts, I have been honored to raise more than $40,000 for the Alzheimer's Association and help secure an appropriation of $824,000 via HB 1 & 460 to establish a Dementia Care Specialist program in Louisiana!

My fight is far from over. I will continue to show up, not only for my grandpa, for the families that need a cure. Once a cure is found, I will continue advocating for it to be covered by insurance. Then I will continue to fight for accessibility for all. The work of an advocate is never truly done but I see a world without Alzheimer's, and that future is bright.