2018 Year in Review
Advocacy Spotlight
HOPE FOR ALL Adolis Ramos
Adolis Ramos is 32, mother of two, wife, a Regis College student—none of these mark her as an obvious Alzheimer’s advocate. Far too busy. And, she does not have a personal connection to the cause, though she now worries that her grandmother may be experiencing dementia as a result of Parkinson’s disease. This past year, she came to the Association for a public health internship. Internship complete, she followed up on her sense that there was a need for still more outreach to the Hispanic/Latino community. She knocked on the door of Dan Zotos, Director of Public Policy. He recognized her enthusiasm; he told her about the priority legislative initiatives and State funding the Association had received to increase outreach to underserved communities. She signed on. 18
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“Dan told me that they were planning legislative breakfasts in Lawrence, Jamaica Plain, and Springfield.” For Lawrence, her hometown, it would be a first. “Latinos are affected two times more than white Americans, so it was interesting to me.” Every Thursday, she put in hours at the Association, in addition to her college classes. Working hard seems to be her natural approach. On this day she arranged to talk about her experience as an Alzheimer’s advocate and policy intern, Adolis is 39 weeks pregnant and expects to deliver her second baby, a girl, within the next 48 hours.
to Dan Zotos. That success was followed by the Jamaica Plain legislative breakfast, co-sponsored by the Dominican Development Center. Again, Adolis translated, for an audience of more than 100. Although her internship was finished with the Jamaica Plain event, Adolis was not stopping there. The annual Advocacy Day at the State House was coming up. She felt that Hispanics/Latinos from Lawrence should take part. She coordinated securing a bus to bring 55 members of the Lawrence Senior Center, predominantly Dominican, to the State House. And once again translated.
Adolis set to work on the Lawrence event, starting at the Senior Center. “We decided how we were going to provide the presentations. Spanish? Spanish and English? All English,” she says. She took the existing PowerPoint and fact sheets and translated them into Spanish. At the event, she translated in Spanish simultaneously, a first for the Association.
Adolis was offered a scholarship to attend the AIM Advocacy Forum in Washington D.C.
”When I learned how Alzheimer’s affects my community, I became concerned. The lack of resources concerned me.” And with her public health background, she says that “Learning that it’s the most expensive disease in the country, and the most misdiagnosed. On top of the fact that it affects Latinos and African Americans significantly more—I had to do something about it.”
“I was inspired. And thankful. And then walking to Capitol Hill, this immigrant girl.” Just the month before, she had traveled to Washington with her mother, as a family trip. “We came to this country, it was just hopes and dreams, and our luggage. That’s all we had.”
Adolis knew that to make connections, not only did she need to translate the presentation, there needed to be a sense of empowerment. When the Mezquita family of Lawrence shared their story, they were able to do so in Spanish, with Adolis translating into English. “I think people expected a little talk and a breakfast. They walked away with a lot more. It was so much more.” The Lawrence legislative breakfast, drawing more than 200 including a number of local and state elected and appointed officials, was the “largest grassroots advocacy event held by the Association,” according
“It was one of the most gratifying, selfless things I’ve ever witnessed in my whole life. Alzheimer’s didn’t affect me personally, but being there was such a beautiful event. It was one of those life-changing things.”
And now, Adolis is planning to go on to a Master’s in Public Health when she graduates in May 2019. Next? “I know that I would like to find a job where I can utilize my Spanish and knowledge to help in my own community. To give back and know what I am making a difference for those who are underserved.” Until that time, Adolis continues with the Alzheimer’s cause. She is now serving in the role of Ambassador, a volunteer federal advocate position, appointed by the national Alzheimer’s Association.
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