In 2003, Bob DeMarco realized there was something “dramatically wrong with his mom, Dotty.” He later learned she was living with Alzheimer’s disease. He left his position as a Wall Street executive and CEO of a software company to care for her. Bob soon found a place he calls “Alzheimer’s World,” where caregivers and their loved ones become bonded by “emotional super glue.”

“If they (the afflicted) can’t see us, they call out our name,” said Bob. “Sometimes they’ll follow us from room to room. And if we go out for even a small period of time, they become distressed. They can’t live without us, and they love us more. Caring for them allows us to live a ‘meaningful and purposeful life.’”

AlzheimersReadingRoom.com, created by Bob, provides Alzheimer’s caregivers and dementia professionals advice and solutions regarding the problems they face. DeMarco also champions the cause of Alzheimer’s research, encouraging his readers to support CureAlz and other charities. The blog has more than 29,000 subscribers and more than 6 million people from 200 countries have visited the website.