Myra Garcia: Singing for Alzheimers Advocacy in the Latino Community [Video]

When former singer and university fundraiser Myra Garcia began experiencing early signs of Alzheimer’s, she was initially misdiagnosed with ADD. Now, as an Alzheimer’s advocate, she’s lending her voice to improve education and care in the Latino community.

Latino and Hispanic populations have a high risk for Alzheimer’s, yet the population is not often represented in clinical trials. With early onset Alzheimer’s rates rising over the last couple of years, more advocates are working to improve diagnosis, care, and research participation. 

One such advocate, Myra Garcia, had an early experience with Alzheimer’s in her own Cuban immigrant family when she was still performing as a singer. Visiting family members in Miami, she found that one of her aunts and her cousin, who lived together, were evicted because her aunt had forgotten to pay homeowner’s association fees. Another aunt, she learned from another family member, had also started showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s. 

“They were wonderful women and just joyful and fun to be with— then to see them …