When Max Wallack was 6 , his great-grandmother Gertrude Finkelstein -- Great Grams as he called her -- was diagnosed with Alzheimer 's disease . His parents were open with him , explaining in easy-to-understand terms that the illness would have a significant impact on her memory . Wallack and his great-grandmother had always been close , but the debilitating disease took its toll on their relationship . She had cared for him when he was young ; now he was one of her primary caregivers . Wallack spent a large part his childhood watching over Great Grams , who was in and out of nursing homes until she moved in with his family . Despite his age , Wallack often held the responsibility of taking care of his great-grandmother alone when his parents could not . He called it `` bubby-sitting . '' Alzheimer 's affects 5.2 million Americans and millions more who are caregivers devoting their lives to helping affected loved ones . Caring for someone with Alzheimer 's is no simple task . Symptoms include memory loss , difficulty in performing everyday tasks and not recognizing close family members . `` There were some hard times , '' says Wallack , now 17 . He recalls a vacation to Hawaii when Great Grams grew fearful of the family , even though they were only looking out for her . Young caregivers put life on hold . Great Grams passed away when Wallack was 10 . Her last few years inspired him to devote his life to studying Alzheimer 's and dementia . Wallack is a junior studying neuroscience at Boston University . After graduation , he wants to attend medical school and continue pursuing Alzheimer 's research . His resume already showcases his passion : He performs research at the Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry in Aging at Boston University 's Alzheimer 's Disease Center . He also founded the nonprofit organization Puzzles to Remember , which distributes puzzles to patients in nursing homes with Alzheimer 's and dementia . Wallack did not achieve all this without persistence -- or intelligence . He took university courses while still in high school and began lab work when he was 15 . Wallack 's ultimate goal ? To find a cure or treatment for Alzheimer 's . But attacking the illness from a medical standpoint alone is not his only course of action . `` You have to combat it in many different ways , '' he says . He decided to focus part of his advocacy on an experience with which he was very familiar : being a young caregiver for someone with Alzheimer 's . The 10 warning signs of Alzheimer 's . This summer , Wallack released a children 's book , `` Why Did Grandma Put Her Underwear in the Refrigerator ? '' The title is meant to be funny , but Wallack says children who have loved ones with Alzheimer 's will relate to the serious side as well . The book aims to teach children about Alzheimer 's . While Wallack 's parents were open with him when they explained Alzheimer 's , others tiptoe around the topic to avoid scaring children , he says . By providing ways to cope , relatable experiences and even a bit of humor , the book aims to make this conversation easier . Wallack wrote the book with the help of Carolyn Given , his English teacher from fourth through eighth grades . When he reached out to Given last winter , he had already been planning the book for years . `` I would love to help him out , '' Given recalls saying . `` As soon as I said that -- within a week -- he had his entire manuscript . '' The two have crafted a lighthearted , educational book that made it to the Amazon Top 100 Best-Sellers for Large Print shortly after its release . The book is filled with stories and ways to help children learn about Alzheimer 's -- some from Wallack 's childhood as well as others from children he has met . One part describes how a person with Alzheimer 's might be afraid of a pet cat because it looks like a lion . Another part teaches children about serving food to people with Alzheimer 's on red plates -- a proven caregiving strategy that makes food stand out on plates , causing them to eat more . Families from all over have reached out to thank Wallack for sharing this story , praising it for quelling children 's fears about Alzheimer 's . `` This is the kind of reaction I had hoped for , '' Wallack told CNN in an e-mail . `` I find stories like that very fulfilling . '' Help for a 'hidden population ' of caregiving kids .
Alzheimer 's affects 10 million people and many more who are caregivers . Symptoms include memory loss , difficulty in performing everyday tasks . David Wallack , 17 , co - wrote a children 's book and a nonprofit group .