MORGANTOWN - The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the new Alzheimer's
Awareness Stamp during the Oct. 17 dedication of the Blanchette
Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute research building.
"I can't think of a better place to dedicate this stamp," said
Carolyn Lewis Gallagher, vice chairman of the board of governors for
the U.S. Postal Service.
Every 71 seconds someone is diagnosed with the fatal, memory
destroying disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The
U.S. Postal Service has issued 62 million of the 42 cent stamps to
bring attention to the devastation the disease brings to the
sufferer, their friends and families.
"I lost my mother to Alzheimer's two years ago and I was her
caregiver," Gallagher said. "The hardest thing was to watch her loss
of dignity and her fear. I pray every day that a cure is found soon,
and I am very proud that the U.S. Postal Service can educate about
this important health cause."
The stamp shows an elderly woman with a supporting hand on her
shoulder, emphasizing the importance of the caregiver. Pages of the
stamps include Alzheimer's information on the back.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., noted that this was the fourth
time in the state's history that a stamp was dedicated here. The
stamp went on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 17.
"Sales are going very well," said Cyndi Moldovan, of the
Morgantown branch of the U.S. Postal Service. "Soon, people will be
seeing them all over the country."
Other health issues championed by the U.S. Postal Service include
diabetes, hospice care and AIDS research.
"This is a way for Americans to show their support," Gallagher
said. "The power of the Postal Service is its ability to connect
people."
Copyright State Journal Corporation Oct 24, 2008
(C) 2008 State Journal-Charleston WV. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved