In the face of heartbreak, Brittany Lush found purpose—and with her loyal dog Stella 🐕 by her side, she’s turning her grief into powerful advocacy. For more than five years, Brittany served as her father’s full-time caregiver during his struggles with Lewy body dementia. This experience drove her to become an #ENDALZ advocate. “I’m making a difference for people who are on the same journey that I was. Maybe it will be easier for them than it was for me.” Brittany didn’t face this journey alone. For Father’s Day a few years ago, Brittany got her dad a doodle named Stella—an intuitive companion who brought comfort and joy during the hardest moments. Stella was there for Brittany’s father as his disease progressed, and she was there for Brittany as she faced the pain of losing him. “She’s been my rock through it all.” Stella is trained as a service and therapy dog and often accompanies Brittany to work at a senior and adult day care center. There Stella is able to continue her legacy of bringing smiles to people living with dementia. In June, Brittany and Stella joined more than 1,000 advocates at the 2025 Alzheimer’s Impact Movement Advocacy Forum, painting Capitol Hill purple and sharing Brittany’s story with members of Congress. Meeting with elected officials can be intimidating at first, but Brittany left feeling empowered. “Telling my story and knowing I was making a difference made it worth it and easy to overcome.” Brittany encourages everyone to get involved in the fight to #ENDALZ. “Use your voice. That’s what we’re here for. We’re their voice. We’re their change.” Join Brittany and Stella in persuading policymakers to make dementia a national priority by becoming an advocate today: alz.org/advocacy. #NationalDogDay (fb)

Happy #NationalDogDay 🐾 to all our furry friends who help us raise awareness in the fight to end Alzheimer’s. 💜 #ENDALZ (fb)