Chantel Jackson - Whistler Honoree

2019 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's

“My mother is very special because she has always been by my side, through the bad times and the good. I will always admire her for who she is, no matter what happens. I will benefit from what she has taught me in life, and I will be influenced by her experience. I will develop my own qualities and talents in my life because of my mother…”

“…To be able to live a life as good as my mother’s would be honourable. My mother works hard for the success she has today and she will never give up on life because she would never risk losing everything she has worked so hard for.”

The words Chantel Jackson used to describe her mom in a high school essay entitled “Who I Admire” are the same ones she’d attribute to her mother, mentor and best friend, Linda Lerohl, today – 20 years later and after a diagnosis of young onset Alzheimer’s disease. 

“My mom taught me so much in life; I’ll always admire her,” Chantel says. “She taught me to be myself and to be strong and brave and courageous.”

On her own in Whistler – with her father Art and sister Lana based in Alberta – Chantel turned to the Alzheimer Society of B.C. for caregiver support. Eventually, Chantel chose to give back to other caregivers in the Sea to Sky corridor by facilitating a support group in Whistler for several years. The group has since stopped meeting due to a lack of participants, but it remains a service Chantel is passionate about providing.

“I know what it was like for me to feel alone,” Chantel says. “At first, I didn’t want to tell anyone that my mom had Alzheimer’s, fearing that people would think there was something wrong with me. When you’re starting on the journey you can feel really lonely and isolated. You feel embarrassed for what people may say or do.”

Linda, young, fit and often mistaken for Chantel’s sister, was a registered nurse who spent her days devoted to living a healthy lifestyle: growing food in her garden, waterskiing, downhill skiing, horseback riding, playing ringette, curling, racquet ball, slow pitch and running – a pastime she shared with Chantel. They were running buddies and their love of the sport is a strong bond between them, despite the progression of the disease. On a recent visit to Linda’s care home in Alberta, the two connected over their passion.

“I shared with Mom how I had completed my own (Ironman) journey and what that meant to me. She held my hand when we were walking. It was a really strong moment. When she all of a sudden looked at me, squeezed my hand and said ‘Awesome’ – the floodgates opened. Then she said, ‘I really want to tell you something: I love you.’ I couldn’t stop crying. She hasn’t spoken in years.”

Chantel’s message to other caregivers is that they’re never alone.

“And it’s ok to cry, and talk about how we are feeling, share stories and experiences,” she says. “It’s not a weakness. It makes you stronger to cleanse your body of those emotions. And reach out to the Alzheimer Society of B.C. for additional help.”

 

Walk with Chantel at the Whistler IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's on Sunday, May 5. Together, we make memories matter.