Our Team
Marianne Sciucco
Co-founder • Manager • Board President
Marianne Sciucco is a registered nurse who cared for hundreds of dementia patients over a 20-year career. Her novel, Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s Love Story, is based on a couple she met through her work and is a testament to the power of love in the face of this heart wrenching disease. Marianne’s tender work of fiction brings consolation and understanding to all who encounter Alzheimer’s. Ironically, two years after her novel’s publication, she started living her own story when her stepfather was diagnosed with mixed dementia. As his Health Care Proxy and Power of Attorney, she became his medical, legal, and financial representative. At the same time, she became the same to her mother, who was suffering from heart failure and dementia caregiver PTSD. “Suddenly, I was the one with all the answers, all the responsibility. It was overwhelming,” she says. “I immediately turned to my AlzAuthors friends to help navigate this stressful situation. The wealth of knowledge I have gained from my years as a nurse working with dementia patients and their families also kept me sane.” Marianne lost both parents in 2018.
Roles: Podcast Producer and Host, Acquisitions Editor, Outreach
Jean Lee
Co-founder • Manager • Board Secretary
Jean Lee’s parents were both diagnosed on the same day with Alzheimer’s Disease. She worked full time as an elementary teacher while experiencing the heartbreak, confusion, and exhaustion common to all caregivers. Through her memoir, Alzheimer’s Daughter, readers travel a journey beginning with a WWII romance, through aging and first suspicions to finally her parents’ last breaths. “I wrote the book I needed to read while caregiving for my parents,” she says. Her memoir is a beautiful but poignant tribute to her parents and a source of support for caregivers, receiving the designation of the “Best Alzheimer’s Books” of all time by Book Authority.
Roles: Acquisitions Editor, Curator of Custom Caregiver Collections, Twitter Manager
Vicki Tapia
Co-founder • Manager • Board Treasurer
Vicki Tapia also cared for both parents. After teaching somewhere around 10,000 mother/baby pairs the art of breastfeeding, Vicki, a lactation consultant, found her energies redirected to the other end of life after both parents were diagnosed with dementia. A diary written to help her cope with caregiving morphed into Somebody Stole My Iron: A Family Memoir of Dementia. Selected as one of the “Best Alzheimer’s Books” of all time by Book Authority, it has been called a “must read for caregivers.” This memoir is written in a conversational style, filled with personal lessons learned along the way, ideas and tips for managing the day-to-day difficulties of dementia, and useful information from experts within the field of Alzheimer’s research.
Roles: Acquisitions Editor, Facebook Manager
Ann Campanella
Manager • Board Member
Susan Landeis
Manager • Board Member
Susan Landeis unexpectedly found herself caring for both of her parents. Her mother had Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, and her father was unable to care for his wife because of increasing health issues. Susan gave up her career after spending more than 20 years in Health Information Management to become a full-time caregiver. Due to a troubled relationship with her mother, Susan spent many years estranged from her parents. Her mother’s dementia was the unforeseen gift that gave them a second chance and helped them find forgiveness and healing at the end of her life. This remarkable experience inspired her memoir, In Search of Rainbows: A daughter’s story of loss, hope, and redemption. She shares her personal story to offer hope, comfort, and understanding to those who share the journey and struggle with family dynamics.
Roles: Graphic Designer, Curator of Custom Caregiver Collections, LinkedIn Manager
Christy Byrne Yates
Manager • Board Member
Christy is a Licensed Educational Psychologist, former school psychologist, author, speaker and coach. Her book, Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation, recounts her journey as a working mother of two who managed the care of her parents, both of whom had dementia. As Christy says, “I wrote the book I wished I’d had.” She offers insights into the unique needs of parents squeezed between two generations. Combining her lived experience with her professional expertise in human development, and a strengths-based approach to wellness she delivers content, workshops and coaching to support families. Christy has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and credentials in both education and school psychology. She works with care communities, financial professionals, estate planners and employers and is a sought out speaker. She’s a member of the Whole Care Network Employee Benefits and Care Economy Mastermind which produced a White Paper on the Importance of Supporting Working Caregivers. She co-hosts and produces Untangling Alzheimer’s & Dementia: an AlzAuthors Podcast.
Roles: Podcast co-host and YouTube channel manager.
Meet Your AlzAuthors Associates
Thank you to the following people who work closely with the management team to help spread our vision and further our mission. As we continue to grow and change our offerings in support of caregivers, we are grateful for these individuals who assist us in many ways.
Ruth Stevens
Book: Stage Seven
Andrea Couture
Book: Embracing What Remains
Malia Kline
Book: Sisterly Shove
Ann Margaret Johns
Book: Counting Steps: The Alzheimer’s Journey of Pat in the Hat
Sue Fagalde Lick
Book: Gravel Road Ahead
AlzAuthors would like to acknowledge the wonderful people
who have contributed greatly to our success over the years.
Kathryn Harrison
Chris MacLellan
Irene Frances Olson
Lance Slatton
Rosanne Corcoran
Gincy Heins
Paulette Sharkey
Leah Stanley
Dr. Debra Tann
Patti LaFleur
Erin Green
Lisa Cappelletti Beilstein
Shannon Nutter
TESTIMONIALS
