The Mac Frampton Trio will take the stage on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. at Murfreesboro’s First United Methodist Church (265 W. Thompson Ln.) for We Remember You’s second benefit concert.
The trio will engage attendees with a soul-stirring blend of gospel, classical and jazz music to show their support not only for those battling dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, but also their caregivers. Admission is free, but donations to We Remember You are appreciated.
We Remember You is a local nonprofit dedicated to educating and supporting caregivers for those with memory diseases. Lee Ann Hyatt, a registered nurse, founded the organization in 2021.
Hyatt is a Murfreesboro native, but most of her work with dementia patients took place during a several-year stint living in Texas. She moved back to Tennessee four years ago. After working as director for the Alzheimer’s caregiver respite of Bedford County for 10 months, she observed that Rutherford County lacked similar resources.
“I got this idea in my head and I believe strongly in God. I’m a very firm member of First United Methodist Church and we just kept noticing more and more of our families come up with dementia, so with their blessing behind me I went ahead and figured out how to start a nonprofit,” Hyatt said. “I was like, ‘Okay, God, if you really want me to do this, please help me figure out how to do this.’”
She assembled a board of directors and got to work. Since its inception, We Remember You has touched the lives of over 75 families in Rutherford County.
The nonprofit hosts six different support groups monthly at First United Methodist Church as well as one at the St. Clair Street Senior Center and another that will soon launch at The Villages.
“Everything in the world happens in the support groups, from lots and lots of tears to a lot of laughter and everything in between,” Hyatt said.
In addition to support groups, We Remember You offers one-on-one private consultations and advice for those who don’t wish to be in a support group.
“When the caregivers are willing to learn different ways of managing the behaviors, the household becomes a lot more of a peaceful place for both the caregiver and the person with dementia,” Hyatt said.
As of February, We Remember You holds a caregiver recovery group specifically for those who provided care to an individual with dementia who has since passed away.
“Their grieving process is different because they’ve had so many waves of grief for years and years as they’ve lost their loved one very slowly,” Hyatt said.
Hyatt will travel to train caregivers, coach caregivers at any hour of the day or night, and will meet them anywhere they need—even in ICUs and emergency rooms.
Caregivers undergo many hardships and tend to have their hands full. The Oct. 22 benefit concert serves as an activity for them and their loved one to enjoy, as well as a way for We Remember You to raise funds as an organization.
We Remember You chose a musical event because the part of the brain that processes music is not typically affected by memory diseases.
“Music reaches right in and makes contact when nothing else makes contact,” Hyatt said. “You can watch some of these people change when music is played and they clear up for a very short period of time.”
The Mac Frampton Trio performed last year’s show as well, which had a notable turnout, Hyatt said.
We Remember You wants all caregivers in the area to know that they aren’t alone and can always turn to them for assistance and support. For more information and ways to get involved with the group, visit werememberyoucg.com or call 615-801-5570; for more on Mac Frampton, visit macframpton.com.
