Testimonials

From a concert attendee visiting her parents at Modena Reserve at Kensington retirement community:

Yesterday I visited my parents for lunch. We saw the sign for the Nerds in Harmony holiday performance at 1:30 on the first floor and decided to go. I’m so glad we did, as it proved to be a really special afternoon....As a writer, I took my thoughts and wrote a little piece on the impact of the performers.

This is a story of one family dealing with Alzheimer’s, and how a group of singing scientists saved Christmas from our version of the Grinch. 

In the famous Dr. Seuss story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" the Grinch, who is a really terrible guy, decides to ruin Christmas by taking everything from the local community of Whos—the decorations, the presents, and even the feast. "The one speck of food that he left in the house was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.”

Alzheimer's Disease feels a lot like the Grinch, but its thievery is stretched out over time. It relentlessly keeps stealing parts of our loved ones; each month something new is missing from my mom's memory and self.

A lot of days are really, really hard. And then there are days like today, when the Nerds in Harmony (NIH, and yes, they're scientists from NIH) came to my parents' senior living home and sang. 

It was like the ending of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" where the "Who's down in Who-ville" gathered together. Even with most of their stuff missing, they didn't give up on Christmas. Instead, they raised their voice in song.

I mostly don't cry about my mom's disease because it's a long goodbye and I have to pace myself, but today I did. "Angels We Have Heard on High" was the one that did me in. It was watching mom feel the music, seeing her and dad enjoying it together just as they had for so many years.

Today the Nerds beat the Grinch. Christmas came early.

Also the Nerds' version of Mr. Sandman, which involved gene sequencing and CRISPR was amazing. I’m sure their work to prevent disease is too. More singing scientists, please.