LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — One family out in Leavenworth, Kansas, is spending their first Father's Day without their husband and father after losing him to early on set Alzheimer’s.
Jose Belardo III, a retired rear admiral, died last September at the age of 56.
Now, the family is baking cookies and cupcakes for a cure while raising awareness of the disease and money for their foundation.
“We wanted to do something for our family rather than be victims of the disease,” Morgan Belardo said.
Morgan Belardo, 21, pours her heart into these treats honoring her dad.
“He was just a caring person, someone who would go to the end of the earth for you,” Morgan Belardo said.
Morgan Belardo was was only 15 when her father was diagnosed.
“I think initially, it was a sad diagnosis because it meant that he could potentially not live to see me, or walk me down the aisle, or he could not live to see the big moments in my life," she said.
Elaine Belardo, Morgan's mother, told KSHB 41 News her husband's death took a toll on her family.
“A tsunami of emotions overtake you and your world is upended just like anybody’s,” Elaine Belardo said. “I needed my children not to crumble because we were facing this adversity, we didn’t pick it, but we could choose how we responded to it.”
One day during a conversation with her husband on their front porch, Elaine and Jose decided they were going to help other families like theirs.
“He said, 'Am I dying? I said, 'No.' He said, 'What am I supposed to do? I want to help people,' and I said, 'Let me think about it for a minute,'” Elaine said. “We looked deeper into the window that is dementia and realized that people are still very capable.”
Elaine, Jose and their family created The Deeper Window, a foundation to help those braving the disease and care givers.
Since 2018, Morgan Belardo has been helping raise money through a bake sale known as "The Sweet Exchange." It’s used to raise money for a cause close to their hearts.
“I decided to do this bake sale because my dad was my biggest supporter when it came to baking," she said. "He would always drive me to the stores to get ingredients and he was just really a good guy."
Elaine Belardo says over the years, the money raised from the bake sale continues to grow. This year they raised $34,206, compared to their first year raising only $3,000.
"I feel that everything that he poured into my children, everything that he poured into me as a husband is right here, and we are able to give it back in his honor,” Elaine Belardo said.
For the Belardos, this Father's Day is the first without him, and although it's sad, they smile knowing they are helping many people just as he would.
“The last thing my dad was able to tell me even in his late stages — he didn’t have many words to say, and he was able to tell me 'You can do anything,' and that's one piece of advice I will always take with me throughout my career,” Morgan Belardo said.
If you want to learn more about the foundation or get involved you can visit their website.
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