Nancy Curran

Several years ago, Nancy Curran began to notice problems with her memory. Her primary care physician suggested that she see Dr. Brian Ott, MD, director of Rhode Island Hospital’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center. Dr. Ott gave Nancy the diagnosis: She had a buildup of amyloid protein in her brain, a visible marker of Alzheimer’s?disease. Her first question, Nancy said, was “Is there any research?” A retired occupational therapist and daughter of a physician, Nancy explained that the practice of medicine has been a constant theme in her life, and she values research highly. Nancy, with her husband, Mike, as her study partner, proved to be a good candidate for the Stage 3 trial of a drug called aducanumab. Nancy wears a bracelet of purple beads – the color of Alzheimer’s awareness – linked with a silver medallion etched with the word “hope.” A dot of gold on the medallion represents her loving caregiver, her husband. “This bracelet says it all,” she said. “Hope is my mantra.”