Gina Martin – 21 years on the National Geographic imaging team – founded the Bob and Diane Fund, a yearly photography grant supporting visual storytelling about alzheimer’s & dementia in memory of her parents in 2016.
The 2024 grant has been awarded to photographer Jason Crowley for the photography project, A Tough Old Bird.
‘My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019, at the age of 92. At the time, I knew very little about the disease. The idea of seeing her was overwhelming, but once I was with her, I felt at ease. We spent that time together taking pictures, and soon I started taking photos of both my mom and grandmother. Whenever I’m home, I’m always visiting with them. We call my grandmother “nana”, my mom calls her “a tough old bird”.’ View the photo story here.
PAN reader Gina Martin told PAN about the Bob and Diane Fund: ‘Our goal is to bring visual understanding and dialogue to a disease that has been in the shadows for far too long. As a daughter of Alzheimer’s, I believe that visual storytelling can be a powerful way to advocate for the increased public and private research and spending needed to find a cure.’