Anne Bashkiroff was a pioneer in the fight for Alzheimer's awareness. Her dear husband, Sasha, suffered for nine years with this terrible brain- and soul-damaging illness. Anne was faced with unanswered questions, economic heartaches, and lonely nights of suffering. The consequences of Alzheimer's and the extended burden the disease places on families and caregivers was not fully known in the 1970s. Instead of giving up, Bashkiroff moved to make the world aware of the silent disease. Her strength and dedication led her to help establish the Family Survival Project. In 1997, she testified before First Lady Rosalynn Carter about the needs of caregivers. Bashkiroff turned her inward suffering to outward hope.