“Help the One You Can”

In 2014, when Irene Sahyun learned she had begun developing dementia, she and her husband Mel already knew something about coping in the wake of a life-altering, incurable diagnosis. Roughly 30 years earlier, the Sahyuns had discovered one of their two sons, who was then in college, was losing his vision due to retinitis pigmentosa. Worse yet, there were no treatments that could even slow the progress of the inherited eye disease.

When Irene expressed the disappointment and helplessness she and Mel were feeling to the couple’s then-pastor, he responded, “Well, if you can’t help the one you love, help the one you can,” Mel recalled.

That advice helped the Sahyuns find hope and purpose by supporting research and getting involved in vision advocacy. Through those efforts, the couple also met and befriended Dr. Diane Bovenkamp, who, like Irene, is originally from Canada.

Following Irene’s dementia diagnosis, “we realized we should use the same model we had when we found out about Michael’s retinitis pigmentosa,” Mel said. By then, Dr. Bovenkamp had moved to BrightFocus Foundation to serve as the Vice President of Scientific Affairs.

“We followed Diane and started supporting Alzheimer’s Disease Research at BrightFocus,” Mel said.

“BrightFocus Foundation’s model of researchers, donors, and people who are affected by the disease all being part of one community, and interacting with one another, is something Irene found particularly worthwhile,” Mel noted.

Both Irene, a former nurse, and Mel, who has a PhD in physical chemistry, have also appreciated BrightFocus’ emphasis on keeping donors and supporters up to date on the latest research. “Communicating the science to me is very important,” said Mel. “It’s an area I’m not expert in, but I still want to know what’s going on.”

That experience prompted Mel to encourage others who are affected by Alzheimer’s and related dementias to consider supporting BrightFocus’ Alzheimer’s Disease Research program. “I think that’s where the action is as far as supporting research into dementias,” he said.

This story originally appeared in BrightFocus Foundation’s 2025 annual report.