Srilakshmi Srivathsan is a senior at a public high school in Indiana. She initiated a project called Defy Dementia as part of a campaign to raise awareness and donations for Alzheimer’s research. Her motivation for choosing Alzheimer’s disease stems from several personal and scientific reasons. First, her great-grandmother suffered from dementia, and it was heartbreaking for Srilakshmi to witness her slowly forget the little things that made her who she was. Having seen many others experience the grief of losing someone who is still physically present, she felt compelled to contribute to finding a cure. Second, Alzheimer’s disease exhibits an overproduction of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. This form of dementia needs more research to find a cure, which thousands of people across the country would benefit from.
Defy Dementia is a multi-faceted project. The first component focuses on extending a sense of community within senior living homes. The second and third parts consist of a bake sale and a soccer clinic, both dedicated to raising money for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. The final part is dedicated to spreading awareness, which Srilakshmi plans to achieve by creating a poster and an online PDF highlighting various aspects of the disease. Ultimately, she hopes her initiative will inspire change and educate her community about Alzheimer’s, with the goal of impacting the future for the better.
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