JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. \u2014 It\u2019s now been eight years since Anne Burris lost her mother to Alzheimer\u2019s disease. <\/p>\n
According to the Alzheimer\u2019s Association, the disease affects roughly one out of every eight people in Duval County above the age of 65.<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s debilitating, it brings people back to a childlike state, to worse than a childlike state,\u201d Burris outlined. \u201cAnd there are so many people who are affected by it.\u201d<\/p>\n Burris has just completed the trek of a lifetime in her mother\u2019s memory, and to raise money for the Alzheimer\u2019s Association. Over 68 days, Burris hiked roughly 550 miles, all the way from the border of France to the beautiful coasts of Spain as part of the Camino de Santiago, stamping pages in her trek passport as she went.<\/p>\n However, Burris told Action News Jax Thursday the trek wasn\u2019t always easy.<\/p>\n \u201cThe weather was the challenge,\u201d Burris explained. \u201cThere was some rain and then also 55-mile-an-hour winds. Of course, here in Florida, we\u2019re used to tropical storms. So think of tropical storm winds, and they\u2019re coming right at your face. And so you can\u2019t make forward motion because of the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n Nonetheless, Burris pushed forward knowing what each step stood for: raising awareness for a disease that took the life of her mother and many others.<\/p>\n Burris also raised roughly $2,000 along the way.<\/p>\n Now, Burris hopes the trek leaves a message behind for all to take something away from.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think step by step, just like anything in life, any problem you\u2019ve got to get through, like helping a loved one through Alzheimer\u2019s, if you can condense it down to steps, to manageable steps, then anything is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n [DOWNLOAD: <\/b>Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks<\/b><\/a>]<\/b><\/p>\n Anyone interested in becoming involved with the Alzheimer\u2019s Association and raising awareness and funds for treatment and research can find that information by clicking the link here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For resources and information, people can call the Alzheimer\u2019s Association\u2019s free 24\/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900<\/a> and talk to a trained professional. <\/p>\n For more info and to support the cause of The Longest Day, people can go to alz.org\/TLD<\/a> and search for Anne Burris or A Pilgrimage for a Cure. <\/p>\n