It has been one year since I sat with Megan Alford at the Broussard Sports Complex.
"I can't believe it."
Aflord continues the fight that she started back in 2020 to bring awareness to Amyloidosis, a rare condition that lead to her mother's death.
"I don't think it's as rare as they think it is, I think it is rarely diagnosed or not as well known," Alford said. "If we can get the word out then more people will think, 'well it can be this, too.' The symptoms are so similar to other things. She started losing weight and we didn't know why, they thought it was her thyroid, we tested that and they said it was fine. Then she started having swelling in her lower legs and ankles and then started having shortness of breath."
Alford had never heard of the condition; her mother originally diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
"As a nurse I have a lot of medical professional friends, doctors, nurses," Alford said. "I've had to educate so many people on what it is? So many people I've had to educate on what it is, obviously I'm trying to raise awareness so they can spot the signs and educated someone else."
By the time they got the actual diagnosis, it was too late. Megan's mother lost her battle just three weeks later.
"I remember asking my mom, 'What am I going to do without you," Alford said through tears. "She told me that I was going to move on, and that is what I've done. This is the one thing I can do to honor her life and tell people about this."
On Saturday, March 10th the Louisiana State Capital will be lit up in red, in honor of Amyloidosis Awareness month. This, Alford said, is a huge step for the little known disease.
"It opens up the awareness because they know that it's not normally that color. The state capitol is not lit up red every night, so when they see it they will question it."
While life will never be the same for Alford and her family, she said her mom's legacy will live on as she works to save one person at a time.
Fore more information on Amyloidosis:
