Pakki’s Team has grown from a team for a Memory Walk event into something much more. As we have become more committed as a family to put more effort into fundraising and learning all we can about Alzheimer’s from several perspectives, we realized there were many people dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s and there are few places providing answers to questions and andtips for caregivers. We found our commitment to supporting Alzheimer’s through fundraising was only half of the battle, supporting those struggling with the tragic effects of the disease right now is an important commitment we have made.
While we still don’t have all the answers (no one does) we began our commitment anew with the creation of a site for a variety of ways to support Alzheimer’s research, patients and caregivers. As we began rounding out our knowledge we learned a couple of things, the actual scientific research is not easy to find and understand, making it difficult for people caring for and emotionally connected to Alzheimer’s patients. We hope to not only provide useful information but to deliver it in such a way that it is available to everyone struggling with the tragic effects of this disease.
As a family, we have been dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease for many years. We have seen the long term effects and we continue to deal with the effects as we work as caregivers and now as activists to help anyone else in the same position.
Who is Pakki?
Pakki’s Team was indeed named for a man commonly referred to as Pakki. Erwin Mickelberg (Pakki), lives in Bloomington, Minnesota with his wife of 62 years. At age 84 he is in the middle to later stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. Pakki is simply a nickname by which some of Erwin’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren refer to him after his eldest grandson christened him with that name as a small child.
Who are we?
We’re not just a family who has dealt with the disease on a first hand basis. Within our family we had several experts educated in some of the fields of study involved with the subject of Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Susan Siegfried(Erwin’s Eldest daughter) holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and now teaches Psychology at the University level. Sonja Fowler (Erwin’s 2nd Daughter) is a Certified Nursing Assistant, qualified Dementia Care Specialist and has over 7 years experience working with the elderly in both facilities and in private homes including memory care units. Lauren Siegfried R.D. (Erwin’s Granddaughter-in-law) is a Registered Dietitian working at a Good Samaritan Society, a long term care facility with many facilities in the Midwest, she is also an experienced blogger on dietary concerns associated with varying diseases.
We hope to only add to the list of people willing to share their experience andbackground on Alzheimer’s Disease. Of course there are more than just the three people Pakki’s Team includes the entire family who take part in gathering donations, walking the annual Alzheimer’s walks and support the cause as they can.
Special Thanks
We would like to thank all our supporters and some key contributors to our efforts. David Siegfried who designed, developed and maintains the Pakki’s Team Website. Christopher Siegfried who keeps the books for the Pakki’s Team website and manages the donations from the Siegfried Family.