CLEVELAND — They gather like any group of old friends, swapping stories and inside jokes over coffee. But the bond between these six women was forged in a way most friendships aren't.

More than a decade ago, Luanne Bole-Becker, Myrna Dettelbach, Maureen Barrett, Fran Muslovski, Sharon Munson, and Marcia Robson met at an Alzheimer's Association support group in Solon. Their husbands — Bob Becker, Tom Dettelbach, Tim Barrett, Jack Muslovski, Tom Munson, and John Robson — had all been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's or dementia.

"Once you get the diagnosis, that's all that's on your radar," Bole-Becker said. "I didn't expect to make new friends later in life, and especially dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia."

When strangers became friends

At first, the support group meetings

See Full Page