"This is for you Nan."
This simple message leads listeners down the musical pathway a man took to help him cope with his grandmother's suffering.
Jordan Green watched his grandmother, Betty Lurwick, struggle with Alzheimer's disease, an incurable form of dementia that destroys memory and mental skills. He felt not only his own grief but that of his family.
To find some relief, Green sought comfort in a familiar place - his music.
"Over the last several years, I watched as my grandmother's mind gradually faded. I wanted to do a song to remind (my family) of the good times," said Green, 28, of Orwigsburg.
In March 2012, Green sought help from local musician Eva Katherine Blankenhorn to sing the chorus.
"Jordan was a friend of my dad. He came to me with the idea. I was really excited because my great-grandmother is suffering from the same disease." said Eva, 14, an eighth-grader at Blue Mountain Middle School.
Green's lyrics capture his feelings about Lurwick's life, highlighting her role as the leader of the family and her life accomplishments, which include serving as a magisterial district judge in Port Carbon.
Lurwick, 83, a resident of Schuylkill Center, Pottsville, is a daughter of the late Anna Mae and Cornelius Foley. She graduated from Pottsville Catholic High School in 1949 and attended St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing, Reading. Upon the death of her husband, Jack, in 1978, she was appointed to complete his term as district magistrate and served in that position from 1979-91.
Green said Lurwick continues to be the matriarch of the family and while her health has impacted her mobility and speech, she continues to communicate and teach all of her loved ones in her own unconventional way. Her strength comes from the daily interaction and love she receives from her family.
Blankenhorn, who performs under the name Eva Katherine, was tasked with singing the emotionally driven chorus.
"The chorus is like an angel singing it, letting everyone know she is in a good place, a good spot," Green said. "Eva's voice and how talented she is, she was the best fit for the part."
The journey cumulated with a video shoot in Philadelphia in October 2012 and Betty Lurwick "Alzheimers Dedication" featuring Eva Katherine was published to YouTube on Dec. 19.
Some of the ideas for the video came from memories Green has of his grandmother. One scene takes place in front of St. Nicholas Church, symbolizing her strong religious beliefs.
Eva recalled her shooting day vividly. She and her family were already scheduled to be in Philadelphia that weekend for a performance at a Professional Bull Riding event. Green asked if she could arrive a few hours early to shoot her part of the video.
Although she has been filmed singing before, Eva said it was first time she was directed in a video.
"It couldn't have been better and I am happy to have the opportunity," she said.
Green mixed footage from the shoot in Philadelphia with home videos of Lurwick and her family. For the viewers, it provides a visual of the life Green reveals in the lyrics.
"I was hoping to show how great my grandmother was with everybody," Green said.
As of Jan. 9, the video had almost 1,000 views. It is an achievement that lets Green know the message is being heard and is touching people.
"Music lets me speak and vent. It's an emotional moment for people," Green said.
Green has been working on music for about 10 years. He is currently working on an album due to be complete this summer. He said his inner drive is not material, such as making money, but being able to just share his music.
"It took me a long time but if you work hard, you can capture your goals," he said.
One of the those goals with the "Alzheimers Dedication" video was not only to create a dedication to his grandmother for himself and his family, but to also spread the word on an incurable disease that affects many people.
This is one goal Eva believes they achieved.
"I think not only is it a great dedication but it brings awareness," she said.
To watch the video, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgE9cnTX8Ec.