Michele’s Story
“Knowing early was a blessing in the sense that I was able to identify sooner rather than later and plan accordingly.”
—Michele Castro
Finding Strength in Faith, Family and Knowing Early
On her hour-long drive to work, Michele Castro practices the four songs she’ll sing with her church’s worship group later that week. By Sunday, she’s standing alongside fellow singers, confidently leading their congregation in worship together.
“I’m very active in my church. I’ve been attending Life Church Macungie for years since we moved to Pennsylvania. It’s going to be almost 18 years.”
Faith, family and community have long been the foundation of Michele’s life. They also gave her the resolve to seek answers about her brain health before Alzheimer’s could begin to reshape her future.
And given Michele’s family history, she decided she wanted answers early.
Working with doctors at the University of Pennsylvania, she began undergoing annual cognitive assessments. Last year, Michele was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease, one of its earliest stages.
“My neurologist said that my cognitive testing hasn’t changed much over the past 10 years, but recently, other clinical testing showed signs of Mild Cognitive Impairment related to Alzheimer’s.”
Receiving the news of her diagnosis was painful. But knowing early gave Michele time to act. It offered her a chance to prepare, ask questions and make informed decisions with the people she loves most.
“I think it’s a blessing and a curse. Knowing early has been a blessing in the sense that I was able to identify sooner rather than later and plan accordingly.”
That desire to plan came from years of watching Alzheimer’s affect her family. Michele helped care for her mother at a time when the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s were not well understood. It wasn’t until after her mother passed away that the family learned she had been living with Alzheimer’s. Later, Michele’s older brother, who worked for the FDNY/EMS in NYC and was one of the 9/11 first responders, was also diagnosed with the disease and passed away a few years ago.
When it came time to consider the next steps in her own care, Michele made sure her family was part of the conversation. She gathered her children to talk through her options, and one of her sons, a nurse, helped prepare questions for her neurologist and took notes during appointments so the family could make informed decisions together.
Those conversations gave Michele confidence that whatever came next, she wouldn’t be facing it alone. Support has also come from Michele’s church community.
After sharing that she would soon begin treatment, Michele was overwhelmed by the encouragement she received from fellow church members, many of whom offered not only prayers, but support as well.
“Once I told people I was going to start infusions and asked them to keep me in their prayers; they immediately started offering support. People came up to me and said, ‘If you need a ride, I’ll take you.’”
Whether she’s singing with her worship team or spending time with her family, Michele continues to focus on what gives her strength: her faith, her loved ones and the opportunity to keep moving forward. She also channels that strength into advocacy, having served as an ambassador for the Lehigh Valley Alzheimer’s community and earning recognition as the 2022 Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) Advocate of the Year. Michele has also championed greater Latino participation in Alzheimer’s clinical trials, helping address the persistent gap between the community’s disproportionate risk and its underrepresentation in research.
Today, Michele hopes that by sharing her story, others facing Alzheimer’s will know they do not have to navigate the disease alone, and that knowing early can create opportunities to plan for the future with the people they love.
“If my story will help one person, that’s what makes me happy.”