Alzheimer’s Should Be Personal to Everyone

Actress Cherie Johnson Shares Her Family’s Heartbreak and the Unforgettable Search for a Missing Father During Hurricane Sandy

By Cherie Johnson | Actress, Author & Alzheimer’s Advocate

Iconique Magazine | November 2026 | National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

There are certain things in life that we believe will never happen to us. We watch other families struggle, listen to heartbreaking stories, and convince ourselves that those situations are somehow far removed from our own reality. We tell ourselves that we have time, that our loved ones are healthy, and that the people who have always been there for us will continue to remember our names, recognize our faces, and share our memories forever. Unfortunately, life does not always work that way.

Alzheimer’s disease has a way of changing everything we thought we understood about family, love, responsibility, and time. It does not care how much money you make, what neighborhood you live in, how famous you are, or how much education you have. It can touch anyone’s family, and when it does, the emotional impact can reach far beyond the person diagnosed.

Many people don’t know this about me, but I have served on the National Alzheimer’s Board for more than 20 years. Alzheimer’s awareness has been a deeply personal part of my life, long before it became a subject that I was encouraged to discuss publicly. I have spent years learning, advocating, listening to families, and witnessing the emotional challenges associated with this devastating disease.

But even with all my years of involvement and understanding, nothing can truly prepare you for the pain of losing someone you love.

This past May, Alzheimer’s claimed the life of my own grandmother.

Writing those words still carries a weight that is difficult to explain. My grandmother wasn’t a statistic. She wasn’t simply another person whose name could be added to the growing number of Alzheimer’s-related deaths. She was my grandmother. She was family. She was part of my foundation, my history, and the collection of experiences that helped shape the woman I am today.

When Alzheimer’s affects your family, the disease becomes more than something you read about in a medical journal or hear discussed during an awareness campaign. It becomes the reality of your everyday life. It becomes the conversations you wish you could have again, the memories you desperately want to preserve, and the moments you realize that time is something none of us should ever take for granted.

Losing my grandmother reminded me that Alzheimer’s awareness cannot be limited to wearing purple during November or sharing information on social media once a year. This is a disease that requires our attention, our understanding, and our compassion every single day.

Alzheimer’s should be personal to everyone, because even when the disease has not entered your home, it has almost certainly touched someone you know.

The Phone Call That Changed Everything

There is another experience that has stayed with me for years, and every time I think about it, I am reminded of how quickly Alzheimer’s can turn an ordinary day into a family’s worst nightmare.

On October 25, 2012, my friend Angela Boyden contacted me in tears. Angela lived in Sacramento, California, but her father, Lloyd, was in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He had gone missing, and no one knew where he was.

Imagine receiving a phone call telling you that your father has disappeared, that he is living with Alzheimer’s disease, and that there is no way of knowing whether he understands where he is, how to get home, or how to ask someone for help.

That was the terrifying reality Angela and her family were facing.

According to the information shared with me, Mr. Lloyd had been at home with his wife. She needed to make a quick trip to the grocery store and left him with their 11-year-old granddaughter. Before leaving, she playfully told the little girl that she was the boss while Grandma was away.

I am certain no one imagined that those few minutes would change the family’s life.

At some point, the granddaughter excused herself to use the restroom. During that brief moment, Mr. Lloyd decided to open the front door and walk outside.

And just like that, he was gone.

When his wife returned home, their granddaughter was frantic and crying. She was terrified because she could not find her grandfather. She was also afraid to go outside looking for him, and she hesitated to contact the police because she believed she might get into trouble.

Can you imagine the fear that little girl must have experienced? One moment she was at home with her grandfather, and the next moment he had disappeared. At 11 years old, she was suddenly facing a situation that would have been overwhelming even for an adult.

Her grandmother immediately realized the seriousness of what had happened and contacted the police.

What happened next was one of the most frustrating parts of the entire experience.

When Every Minute Matters

Angela’s family was desperate to locate Mr. Lloyd. They understood that this was not simply an adult who had decided to leave home for a few hours. This was a man living with Alzheimer’s disease who might not have understood where he was going or how to return.

According to the family’s account, the initial police response was that they would have to wait 24 hours before a formal missing-person report could be filed because Mr. Lloyd was an adult. Officers reportedly collected information about his clothing and appearance, but the family felt that the urgency of his condition was not being fully recognized.

I could not accept the idea of simply waiting.

When a person living with dementia disappears, time is not something you can afford to waste. They may become confused, frightened, exhausted, or unable to explain their circumstances. They may not recognize familiar landmarks or remember important information such as their address or telephone number.

I decided to do whatever I could to help.

I got on Twitter and reached out directly to the mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey. I explained the situation, including Mr. Lloyd’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the family’s growing concern for his safety.

To my relief, the mayor responded.

After learning more about the circumstances, he contacted the police, and according to what I was told, a full missing-person report was completed.

That response reinforced something I have always believed: sometimes advocacy means refusing to remain silent when someone’s safety is at stake.

We cannot always control what happens to the people we love, but we can control whether we speak up, ask questions, reach out for help, and demand that vulnerable individuals receive the attention they deserve.

A Missing Father, A Frightened Family, and an Approaching Hurricane

As the hours passed, my fears became increasingly overwhelming.

Elizabeth, New Jersey, is close to Newark, and I began thinking about all the dangers Mr. Lloyd might encounter while wandering through unfamiliar or confusing surroundings. The weather was getting colder, daylight was disappearing, and we had no way of knowing whether he had found shelter.

One of my greatest fears was that someone might mistake him for a homeless person and simply walk past him without realizing that a family was desperately searching for him.

Another fear was even more disturbing.

What if Mr. Lloyd became confused and tried to enter someone’s home because he believed it was his own? What if a homeowner thought he was an intruder and reacted out of fear? What if he was unable to explain who he was or why he was there?

These are the kinds of terrifying possibilities that families caring for people with Alzheimer’s must sometimes confront.

I spent countless hours sharing Mr. Lloyd’s photograph, contacting hospitals, reaching out to shelters, and trying to spread the word about his disappearance. I wanted as many people as possible to recognize his face and understand that he was not simply wandering without purpose. He was a missing father, grandfather, husband, and loved one who needed to be brought home safely.

Then something happened that made an already frightening situation even more dangerous.

Hurricane Sandy was approaching the East Coast.

On October 29, 2012, Sandy made landfall in New Jersey, bringing destructive winds, flooding, power outages, and widespread disruption. Communities were struggling to protect themselves, emergency responders were dealing with dangerous conditions, and families throughout the region were facing uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lloyd was still missing.

The following day, October 30, was his 65th birthday.

Instead of being surrounded by his family, celebrating another year of life, blowing out candles, or enjoying a birthday dinner, he was somewhere out there in the aftermath of one of the most destructive storms to hit the region.

That thought broke my heart.

I kept imagining him cold, wet, confused, and perhaps wondering where everyone had gone. I wondered whether he was hungry, whether he had found somewhere safe to sleep, and whether anyone who encountered him understood that he needed help.

I also thought about Angela, who was miles away in California, waiting for news about her father.

What do you say to someone who is waiting to find out whether their parent is alive? How do you reassure a daughter who knows that her father is vulnerable, yet cannot reach him or bring him home?

There were no easy answers.

All I could do was continue making calls, sharing information, encouraging people to look for him, and praying that someone would recognize his face.

Alzheimer’s Wandering Is Not Something We Can Ignore

When people hear stories about individuals with Alzheimer’s wandering away from home, they sometimes assume that someone must have been careless or irresponsible.

But the reality is more complicated.

A person experiencing dementia-related confusion may leave a familiar environment for reasons that make perfect sense to them at that moment. They may believe they need to go to work, visit a relative, pick up their children, or return to a home where they lived decades earlier.

They may not recognize that their surroundings have changed or that they are placing themselves in danger.

Wandering and getting lost are serious safety concerns for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Even familiar neighborhoods can become confusing, and someone who has traveled the same streets for decades may suddenly become unable to find the way home.

The Alzheimer’s Association’s guidance on wandering and getting lost explains why families should prepare for these situations and respond immediately when someone with dementia goes missing.

I want families to understand that preparation is an act of love.

Know the warning signs. Keep recent photographs of your loved ones available. Make sure important contact information is accessible. Consider appropriate safety measures and identification options. Talk openly with family members about what to do if someone becomes confused or attempts to leave home unexpectedly.

Most importantly, never assume that a missing person with Alzheimer’s will simply find their way home.

If someone with dementia is missing, begin looking immediately and contact emergency services promptly. Do not wait 24 hours to report a disappearance. The Alzheimer’s Association advises calling 911 if the person is not found within 15 minutes, while informing responders that the missing person has dementia.

Mr. Lloyd’s experience taught me that a few moments can change everything. His story also reminded me that communities, law enforcement, neighbors, and families must work together to protect people who may not be able to protect themselves.

This Disease Is Closer Than You Think

According to the 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, approximately 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia.

That is millions of people whose lives are being affected by a condition that changes the way they remember, communicate, think, and function.

But those numbers only tell part of the story.

Behind every person living with Alzheimer’s may be a spouse trying to remain strong, an adult child balancing work and caregiving responsibilities, a grandchild struggling to understand why Grandma no longer recognizes them, or an entire family trying to make decisions about safety, medical care, and the future.

There are caregivers who have not enjoyed a full night’s sleep in months. There are husbands and wives grieving the changes in relationships that once felt familiar. There are children who are overwhelmed by the emotional and financial responsibilities of caring for aging parents.

There are families who are exhausted, frightened, and unsure where to turn.

And there are people living with Alzheimer’s who deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, kindness, and patience through every stage of their condition.

I want us to remember all of them.

I also want us to recognize that Alzheimer’s is not a problem reserved for senior citizens. Although age is a major risk factor, younger-onset Alzheimer’s also exists, and people of different backgrounds and circumstances can be affected.

This is why I cannot understand how anyone can look at Alzheimer’s awareness as somebody else’s issue.

Even if you have never had a relative diagnosed with dementia, you probably know someone who is caring for a parent, grandparent, spouse, neighbor, or friend who is experiencing memory loss.

And if you do not know someone today, you may encounter this reality in the future.

We need to stop waiting until tragedy enters our own homes before deciding that awareness matters.

Remembering My Grandmother and Honoring Every Family

When I think about my grandmother, I am reminded of how deeply Alzheimer’s affects the people left holding the memories.

Families often become the keepers of stories that their loved ones may no longer be able to tell. We remember their laughter, the advice they gave us, the sacrifices they made, and the experiences that shaped our relationships.

Those memories deserve to be preserved.

I encourage families to record their loved ones’ stories while they have the opportunity. Take photographs together. Record conversations. Ask questions about childhood memories, family traditions, favorite music, and the lessons they have learned throughout their lives.

Do not wait until someone becomes ill to appreciate the extraordinary value of an ordinary conversation.

And if your loved one is already experiencing memory loss, continue finding ways to connect with them. Play familiar music. Share photographs. Sit beside them. Speak gently and remind them that they are loved.

They may not always remember the details of your visits, but that does not mean those moments are meaningless.

My grandmother’s passing has only strengthened my desire to encourage others to become involved in Alzheimer’s awareness, research, and caregiver support.

We cannot change what has already happened, but we can use our experiences to help other families prepare, find resources, and feel less alone.

Awareness Means More Than Wearing Purple

Every November, people across the country recognize National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. We see purple ribbons, awareness campaigns, fundraising walks, educational programs, and messages encouraging communities to learn more about dementia.

I appreciate those efforts because visibility matters.

But awareness cannot stop at visibility.

I want awareness to lead to action.

I want people to understand the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and encourage loved ones experiencing persistent memory difficulties to seek medical evaluation. I want families to discuss care plans before emergencies occur. I want communities to develop better ways to respond when vulnerable individuals wander away from home.

I want caregivers to know that asking for help does not mean they have failed.

I want children and grandchildren to understand that a person’s value does not disappear when their memory begins to fade.

And I want us to recognize that the people living with Alzheimer’s are not simply patients or diagnoses. They are human beings with histories, personalities, relationships, hopes, and emotions.

When we support Alzheimer’s awareness, we are supporting the people who raised us, taught us, protected us, inspired us, and helped build the communities we enjoy today.

For families seeking guidance, education, and practical assistance, the Alzheimer’s Association’s caregiver support resources offer information that can help them navigate the challenges of dementia care.

Knowledge is important, but compassion is equally necessary.

We need both.

Why I Will Never Stop Speaking About Alzheimer’s

My involvement with Alzheimer’s advocacy spans more than two decades, but the reasons I continue speaking about this disease are not complicated.

I remember my grandmother.

I remember Angela’s tears.

I remember the fear of knowing that Mr. Lloyd was missing during Hurricane Sandy.

I remember the conversations, the photographs, the calls to hospitals and shelters, and the feeling that every passing hour mattered.

And I will always remember that text message telling me he had finally been found.

Those experiences changed the way I think about responsibility and the power of using my voice.

As an actress, I have been blessed to be part of television programs that people remember and love. My work on Punky Brewster and Family Matters has connected me with audiences across generations. I am grateful for those opportunities, but I also recognize that having a public platform comes with the ability to call attention to issues that deserve more than a passing conversation.

If sharing my experiences encourages one family to develop a safety plan, one caregiver to ask for assistance, or one person to learn the warning signs of Alzheimer’s, then I believe sharing these stories serves a meaningful purpose.

This November, I am proud to share my message with readers of Iconique Magazine as the publication recognizes Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.

With hip-hop artist Positive K also using his voice to support Alzheimer’s awareness in the November 2026 cover edition, we are reminded that compassion can unite people from different generations, professions, and backgrounds.

You do not have to be an entertainer, public figure, medical professional, or caregiver to make a difference.

You only have to care enough to get involved.

Alzheimer’s Should Be Personal to Everyone

I want to leave you with something that I hope you will carry beyond this article.

Do not wait until Alzheimer’s takes someone you love before you begin to care about the disease.

Do not wait until a parent forgets your name before you learn about dementia.

Do not wait until a grandparent wanders away from home before you understand the importance of safety and preparation.

And do not wait until a family member passes away before you recognize the value of the memories you still have an opportunity to create.

Alzheimer’s is not simply about forgetting names, places, or appointments. It is about families trying to hold on to the people they love while learning how to navigate changes they never expected.

It is about a daughter searching for her father.

It is about an 11-year-old granddaughter terrified because her grandfather has disappeared.

It is about a grandmother whose life deserves to be remembered.

And it is about every caregiver, family member, neighbor, and friend who has ever stood beside someone facing this disease.

Mr. Lloyd’s story had a happy ending. My grandmother’s journey ended in heartbreak. Both experiences remain part of the reason I believe so strongly in Alzheimer’s awareness.

The disease may touch our lives in different ways, but the responsibility to show compassion belongs to all of us.

Alzheimer’s doesn’t just steal memories. It changes families, challenges communities, and reminds us how precious every moment truly is.

And if there is one thing I want everyone reading this article to remember, it is this:

Alzheimer’s should be personal to everyone, because one day, the person who needs understanding, protection, and unconditional love could be someone you love.

With love, awareness, and determination,

Cherie Johnson

Actress | Author | Alzheimer’s Advocate

“This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.”

Need Alzheimer’s Support?

If you have concerns about Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or the safety of someone experiencing memory loss, visit Alzheimer’s Association or call the free, confidential 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900.

If a person living with dementia goes missing, seek help immediately. Call 911 if you cannot locate them promptly, and inform emergency responders about their condition.

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