When Caty Stanko graduated from college in 2021, she expected to come home to the same warm, easy bond she’d always shared with her mom. But something was wrong. Conversations broke down. Her once sharp and accomplished mother, a successful attorney, suddenly couldn’t follow simple exchanges, forgot names, and struggled with everyday tasks like calling an Uber.

At first, Caty thought it was stress, but by late 2021 she suspected something more. In May 2022, her fears were confirmed: her mother, at just 63, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a rare and aggressive neurological disease. Doctors estimated she had about seven years. The news shattered Caty. She felt isolated and overwhelmed, especially losing the ability to truly talk to the person she’d always leaned on. But a doctor’s advice pushed her forward: “Live your life. Do everything you said you’d do — for your mom.”

She chose running. With her brother Drew, Caty trained for the New York City Marathon. The journey was grueling, filled with tears and late-night calls to her dad, but each step gave her purpose. In November 2023, the siblings crossed the finish line together, raising more than $12,000 for Alzheimer’s research.

Now, they’re determined to complete all six World Marathon Majors in her mother’s honor. Though her mom is now mostly nonverbal, Caty believes the lessons she taught — resilience, strength, and love — remain with her. Running has become Caty’s way to carry her mother’s spirit forward, proving that even as memories fade, love endures.