JOHN ELLSWORTH, NATIONAL EARLY STAGE ADVISOR, GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND When given a dementia diagnosis, a person has two choices: bravely embrace what is to come or pretend it’s not happening. Chapter constituent, John Ellsworth, continuously goes above and beyond the former to do something even more exceptional. John was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2013 at age 72. He had been employed as a marketing and design professional after studying sculpture at Colorado College. John and his wife, Karlene (for whom John has cared throughout her Multiple Sclerosis journey) live in Gwynedd, PA and together have five adult children. What’s special about John is his willingness to use his voice and influence to create awareness and impact change. John has enrolled in clinical trials to help move forward the work of research. He has served on the National Alzheimer’s Association Early Stage Advisory Group. John has also served locally as a member of the Delaware Valley Chapter Early Stage Advisory Council. One of his passions is helping other people who are in the early stages of the disease which he does by volunteering as an Early Stage Peer to Peer volunteer. John and Karlene have attended the Early Stage Dual Support Group in Bucks County since 2014 and remain active members. And, as a representative of people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, John speaks frequently—most notably before 15,000 people at the 2015 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Philadelphia. John feels very strongly about the role of advocacy, demonstrated by his attendance at the 2016 Advocacy Forum in Washington D.C. and his regular visits to his congressman’s district office. John’s work is exemplary and we are proud to stand by him, support him and work alongside him in achieving our mission. AADVC FY2016 11