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The last six months were tough for Dad and my Mum (his carer and wife of 65 years) as his dementia deteriorated very fast. Medication didn't help anymore; he was physically very fragile; he started wandering at night; the frequent asking of questions became an exhausting constant and he grew aggressive. His few lucid moments descended into a steady existence of apathetic vagueness.

One time he fell and Mum couldn't get him up on his feet, so he was taken to hospital where a pneumonia was diagnosed. After treatment he moved into a care-home as Mum simply couldn't look after him anymore. Unfortunately he became too difficult as he kept falling and would become angry with the staff. He was placed in a nursing home but only spent one night as he was rushed to hospital again, this time for a double pneumonia. The hospital gave him the best treatment possible and after 4 days on morphine he died peacefully -  on the day he was due to be moved to a hospice. 

The staff at the two homes and the hospital were generous, warm-hearted and totally dedicated. They were awesome. 

Dad had been a great marine, chemical and agricultural engineer with a remarkable, versatile career who this illness turned into a physical and mentally incapacitated soul living on another planet; one that we couldn't even get close to, let alone visit. It was such a sad experience for all of us, Dad included.

Christina and I have decided to do the Mount Snowdon Midnight Challenge to raise funds for the research and development of (preventative) cures as supported by the Alzheimer's Society. We hope to collect £ 1000 - minimum - as a contribution.

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