Keith Plunkett is pictured paddling along Wolf Lake in Yazoo County. The 39-year-old Yazoo County native has turned his hobby into a cause to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.By JASON PATTERSON
Managing Editor

Even with a table full of food in front of her, Lucy Plunkett barely found time to eat whenever her family gathered for a meal.
She was too busy taking care of everyone else.
“Mamaw was constantly up and down, serving more tea or checking on something on the stove,” said her grandson Keith Plunkett. “She was a giver. She was always available to anyone who needed her, and she always did what needed doing with a smile.”
Mrs. Plunkett has been gone for 17 years, but her grandson hasn’t forgotten those qualities that helped make him into the person he is today. He also hasn’t forgotten the heartbreaking experience of watching her suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia in older people. Alzheimer’s begins slowly. Usually those affected at first begin to forget things that happened recently or even the names of people they know. Over time the symptoms get much worse, and eventually victims may not recognize family members or have trouble communicating. Eventually they require total care. The extreme symptoms cause tremendous stress for family members, especially a close-knit family like the Plunketts.

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