When Milton’s Connor Eaton was growing up, he and his grandfather, John Cushing, shared a love of woodworking and made several birdhouses together. So when Cushing was diagnosed with dementia caused by Lewy body disease and his cognition started to deteriorate, Eaton, now 16, decided to work with him on more birdhouses.
They made one for “Moments in Time,” an exhibition of artwork by Vermonters who have Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, part of a program curated by the Vermont chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Their birdhouse in the “Moments” gallery is shaped like the state of Vermont, with the ridges on the sides smoothed over and a small hole with a perch, where they placed a decorative red cardinal.
“We definitely had a close connection throughout my entire life, yet this still brought us closer than ever before,” Eaton said.
The birdhouses they created together still hang in the Eaton family’s home. Cushing, who also lived in Milton, died in December.
“He always wanted to make birdhouses,” Eaton said. When they installed them outside, “the birds seemed to like them, so we just made more.”
Because of their personal experience with the disease, Eaton and his mom, Sheila Eaton, 51, have helped fundraise for the Alzheimer’s Association. In addition to participating in the “Moments in Time” program, they plan to attend the 2025 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday, September 28, at the Shelburne Museum.
Formerly known as the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk, the event started in 1989 in locations across the U.S. The Alzheimer’s Association in Vermont hosts three walks: in Rutland, St. Johnsbury and Shelburne. The Shelburne event alone typically surpasses 800 attendees.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 13,000 people aged 65 and older are living with the disease in Vermont — and they benefit from spending time with young people. The group’s staffers say more kids are participating in the association’s programs and events these days, helping to spread awareness of efforts to destigmatize Alzheimer’s and empower those impacted by it.
“We have seen an increase in the younger generation being more involved in talking about Alzheimer’s and dementia and their connections [to it], whether it’s their grandparents or maybe it’s their friend’s grandparents,” said Jenna Johnson, development manager for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Vermont chapter.
Melissa Connor, 53, director of Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, brings a group of the center’s high school students to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Rutland every year. The first year, in 2023, about a dozen students attended, and the number has grown since, Connor said.
What was once just her personal connection to the disease has turned into a community service opportunity for many students in the school, said Connor, who lives in Mount Holly. “One of the cornerstones here at Stafford is [showing] the students different ways that they can get involved with their community,” she said.
“This is something that they can feel involved with and feel like they’re doing something for their loved one.”
At Stafford’s first school assembly in the fall, Connor and the students begin preparing for the Rutland walk, which falls this year on Saturday, September 27. Teachers at the school promote the fundraiser in their classrooms, Connor said. “We’re still trying to get students to understand [that] something small that you can do could have a big impact.”
When young people get involved, Johnson said, they foster a connection with their elders.
“Alzheimer’s and dementia impacts whole families, so I think people use the walk and our fundraising, our community events, as ways to come together,” she said.
Sheila Eaton saw the connection between her son and father flourish when she watched them working on the birdhouse for “Moments in Time.” “Dad was just absolutely in awe” when he saw the progress they made with every step, she said. “So it was nice to see them doing something that they loved together.”