About: Karen Garner

Karen Garner

Profile: Alzheimer’s disease expert by experience, Karen Garner, 47, was the caregiver for her husband Jim who passed away from early-onset Alzheimer's disease in April 2016. As the founder of The Garner Foundation to help dementia caregivers, she is passionate about educating doctors, lawmakers and anyone who will listen about Alzheimer’s and the toll it takes on families. She started her blog, www.missingjim.com, to become a face and voice for younger onset Alzheimer’s Disease. She and her two children, Frances, 16 and Bradley, 12, have traveled to Washington D.C. many times to advocate for more research funding and to bring awareness to those that can help facilitate change. Karen lives in Newport News, VA, volunteers at her children’s schools and is also a proud softball, field hockey and baseball mom as well as a coach to Bradley’s basketball team.