Advocacy in Action: Why CherylAnn Haley Fights to Shape Florida Policy

By Josephine Cioffero

CherylAnn Haley didn’t know the signs when her mother, Sandy, developed Alzheimer’s. She wasn’t satisfied when her mother’s doctor wouldn’t perform tests and claimed nothing could be done about Sandy’s condition. That’s why she became an advocate — so Florida families can be educated and prepared if the disease affects them, too.

In a purple dress, CherylAnn arrived at the 2023 Rally in Tally carrying magnets of pictures of her mom, with “Please support HB 299” written in the middle. Her and two other advocates went around speaking with senators, sharing the financial, medical and personal impact of Alzheimer’s and the bill.

“I shared my mom’s story, and I started to cry a little bit,” she said. “I had to pull myself together, so I wiped my tears,” proceeding to tell the senator about what prompted her mother’s stay in memory care: when she went missing for five hours after a sheriff’s deputy jumpstarted her car for her.

“The senator looked at me and said, ‘Does this bill need a co-sponsor?’”

HB 299, which focused on dementia education and training, was approved in June 2023, but CherylAnn’s journey as an advocate is far from over. As she prepares for this year’s Rally in Tally, she feels especially passionate about what she’s advocating for this year — awareness. The proposed bill, HB 513/SB 578, would create Florida’s first ever public awareness campaign for Alzheimer’s disease. 

“It’s important to know signs and symptoms and know it’s more than memory loss or repeating the same story five times,” she said. “People need to be more aware of what can slow it, how it affects them and how to fight against it.”

“It’s not as difficult or frightening as it may seem when you first start,” she added. “You ease in, and at the end, you wish you didn’t have to go home because there’s so much more to be done.”

While our advocates are in Tallahassee Jan. 26-27, you can receive updates and action alerts by visiting our Flowpage and signing up for the Advocacy Weekly Newsletter at https://flow.page/alzrallyintally.