MARION, IOWA — A Linn-Mar High School student is earning national recognition for a podcast that shares her relationship with her grandpa and his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Fourteen-year-old Kate Baker was named a national finalist in NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge for “Dear Kate,” a project that highlights the experiences of people living with Alzheimer’s disease while also focusing on the bond she shares with her grandpa, Ted.
The podcast grew out of letters Baker wrote to her grandpa and evolved into a series that combines her personal experiences with research aimed at helping listeners better understand the disease and its impact on families. Baker’s grandpa Ted suffered from dementia…