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A comprehensive, video-based Alzheimer’s awareness program for children and families.
The Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Awareness Program (MMAAP) was co-created by Alder Allensworth and Brenda Freed. It was released in 2021 but the seed for the project was planted in 2003.
The collaboration between Alder and Brenda nurtured the seed into the full-grown MMAA Program. The Program includes five educational videos, a song and the lyrics, an animated story song video and lyric video, and a quick reference guide.
Including Creative Arts in the Inclusive Program
Primary goals were to integrate the creative arts and make the Program multicultural, multimedia, intergenerational, comprehensive yet concise, affordable and accessible to people of all abilities.
Therefore, the MMAAP has a version that accommodates people with hearing impairments. Because the Program is primarily auditory, people who have visual impairments are also served. The entire Program is available for $47.
Program Roots
Alder Allensworth and Brenda Freed met in 1980 when they did their music therapy internships at a mental health hospital for children and adults in Kansas City, Missouri. Included in the internship program was a rotation at a geriatric facility. Both women have Master’s degrees in Music Therapy and Brenda’s is in Music Education as well.
Alder worked as a music therapist in situations involving youth, geriatrics, rehabilitation, and as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in hospice care. She became a registered nurse in 2016 and worked in acute care hospitals, rehabilitation and currently in home care.
Brenda taught K-12 music before pioneering the Music Therapy Program at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where she worked with all diagnoses throughout the hospital system from infants to geriatrics, child and adult psychiatry and chemical dependency. She has taught guitar, piano and voice to all ages for over 30 years and has published a line of Effortless Music Instruction Products. Brenda is also a singer songwriter with several published albums of mostly original material.
Both women have published articles in professional journals and publications of special interests. In 2017, Alder won a Richter Publishing contract for her book, Prevail: Celebrate the Journey, available on Amazon.
Inspiration Strikes Close to Home
In 2003, Alder’s mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was being cared for by Alder’s dad. Alder noticed the grandchildren, ages 5 and 7 at the time, were having difficulty relating to their Gran when they came to visit. Alder researched resources to help them understand what was happening to their Gran and found very little available.
After her Mom’s death in 2010, Alder decided to write a children’s book that told the story of a young girl discovering her Gran has Alzheimer’s disease and going on a mission to figure out how to help her.
Work on the book was gradual as life happened, including Alder’s dad having a stroke in 2013, leaving him with vascular dementia. He moved in with Alder as his primary caregiver until his death in 2017. Brenda’s dad died of Covid-induced dementia in 2020.
Making Mackenzie Materialize
In 2016, Alder called on her long-time friend and colleague, Brenda Freed, to help her with the book project. The two wrote the 500-word picture book first and turned it into the Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Disease Story Song. It tells the story of a young girl learning her Gran has Alzheimer’s and what she plans to do to help.
The Story Song was animated in 2020. You can view the video below:
A lyric video of the animated story song video was also created to serve early readers and those who have hearing impairments. The lyric is available with the purchase of the entire MMAA Program.
A download of the Story Song was to be included with the purchase of the Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Disease Chapter Book. The plan was to make supplementary videos for children and their families to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease.
Book Building Begins
From 2016-2018, Alder and Brenda had the chapter book illustrated, pitched the book to agents and publishers, and attended children’s book conferences. Many publishers were interested, but they all wanted a lot of money to publish the books.
Alder and Brenda knew they had a good idea. There were only a few books available to help children understand Alzheimer’s on the market while. However, by 2020, more than 20 such books had been added to the market.
Children started learning more online during the Covid pandemic. Instead of publishing the chapter book, Alder and Brenda’s focus turned to creating the digital, video-based Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Disease Video Series. The information in the video series is outlined in the Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Quick Reference Guide, a downloadable PDF, for quick reference when the internet is not available.
The entire Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Awareness Program (MMAAP) including the five educational videos, a song and the lyrics, an animated story song video and lyric video, and the quick reference guide has been accessible on the internet from the www.MackenzieMeetsAlzheimer.com website since its release in 2021.
Available on Amazon
The creation of the multimedia Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Awareness Program reflects the combined skills and experiences of its creators. Music, dance and art are used to integrate children into the care of a loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease, improve quality of life and bring fun and enJOYment to the whole family. As a result, positive memories with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or any type of dementia are created during this challenging time.
Alder Allensworth, MM, RN, LMHC
Alder Allensworth
Alder is a counselor and a registered nurse. The inspiration for this project came from Alder’s personal experience watching her mother who had Alzheimer’s disease interact with her grandchildren (Alder’s nieces and nephews.)
Professionally, she worked with children and in geriatrics, including those with Alzheimer’s disease. Allensworth has also published several articles in professional journals. She won a Richter Publishing book contract in 2017. Her book, Prevail: Celebrate the Journey, is available on Amazon and has a five star review rating.
She is a speaker and presenter in the field of disabilities on local, national and international stages. Allensworth has been featured on CNN, local and international television and newspapers for her life’s work of promoting quality of life for all people with disabilities.
Brenda Freed, MA, MUS
Brenda Freed
Brenda Freed, MA, has a Master’s degree in Music Education/Music Therapy, with an emphasis in counseling. Freed pioneered the Music Therapy Program at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where she worked with patients of all ages and diagnoses, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Brenda has published music therapy articles, a poetry magazine, and an arts and entertainment magazine. Freed teaches voice, piano and guitar online to all ages, voice and harmony workshops at festivals and conferences, and has produced a line of Effortless Music Instruction Products.
She created the Young Artist Performance Incubator (YAPI) program at the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival. Freed is also a performing singer songwriter with several published albums of original material. She and her husband perform as Him & Her TX.
Visit Amazon to get the Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Disease Picture Book.
Learn more on MackenzieMeetsAlzheimers.com
