FRIENDSHIP GAVE ME HOPE DURING MY CAREGIVER JOURNEY

As she struggled to navigate her role as her husband's caregiver, Nancy Treaster found comfort, strength and a lifelong sisterhood with Sue Ryan, who had traveled the same road months earlier. Forever bonded by their caretaking journeys, the two women discovered the power of community and the joy of having a trusted shoulder to lean on.

- GINA ROBERTS-GREY

Early in her husband’s battle with dementia, Nancy Treaster, 63, began feeling overwhelmed. The retired software industry veteran, who had spent her professional life managing strategy for a global company, found herself in unfamiliar territory...in her own home. Her usual techniques for overcoming obstacles weren't working, and she was becoming increasingly frustrated. At a loss for what to do next, Nancy reconnected with a former neighbor, Sue Ryan, 69, who was also a full-time caregiver. It kick-started the duo’s unwavering friendship, mutual support and commitment to comforting fellow caregivers. Here, Nancy shares how she and Sue bonded over the lack of candid, helpful advice for the day-to-day realities of caregiving for people living with dementia—and how they created a practical and compassionate solution for women everywhere.

ENDLESS LOVE Far left: Nancy Treaster (left) developed a close friendship with Sue Ryan (right), who offered guidance and support during her caregiver journey Top: Nancy and her husband, Kim, in 2017, two years after his dementia diagnosis

Bottom: Nancy and Kim, here at their wedding in 1990, were married for 34 years

“For nine years, I cared for my husband, Kim, until he lost his fight with frontotemporal dementia a week before Christmas in 2024. My father-in-law, who I also took care of for five years, had Alzheimer’s and passed away in October of 2024, just a few weeks before Kim. I had quite an emotional few months because I was—and still am—also caring for my 86-year-old mother-in-law, who lives on her own but requires help with cooking, paying bills, getting groceries or going to get her hair done.