I’ve taken on the challenge to run the London 2023 Marathon on Sunday the 23^rd April 2023. I’m running to raise much needed funds for the Alzheimer’s Society, a cause close to my heart.

I lost my wonderful Nan (Jean Palmer) to this disease over 30 years ago now, what’s brought it home recently is she had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by my age 51 and sadly passed away at 60. When it happened I was in my teens and thought that was old and that she had reached a good age, now as I fastly approach that decade myself and with friends turning 60, I realise how young it is and how much more life she had left.

Nan and I had a special bond, I was the first grandchild and had her all to myself for the first 5 years of my life. My mum’s hairdressing salon was attached to the side of Nan’s house so I was with her daily and oh what fun we had. She was a big kid who always had a loving smile on her face and a big bear hug to give you. When she was 48, my Pop (her husband) died aged 50, leaving her and the 5 kids, 2 still at home, aged 11 and 14, she’d also lost her mum and brother within the year so life hadn’t been easy. Looking back was it that stress that brought on her dementia?

By her mid 50’s she was staying with our family in Seamill, a lot, her fun loving side was still there for a longtime thankfully. I remember she’d run and jump on top of my friends when they were round and blow raspberries on their necks, or chuck Malteser’s all over the floor for us to scramble, they never asked why, they just went along with it!

It wasn’t long before she started to go downhill quickly. I used to bath her and get her changed for bed at night then tuck her in like a child. Another memory which has stayed with me was when I heard her shouting from the bathroom. I went in to find she had covered the mirror in slices of ham and was asking me who she was?
She no longer recognised herself in the mirror, that was a hard one.

Sadly when she needed round the clock care she went into a nursing home in Dundonald, which I don’t have good memories of as she became almost comatose and did not recognise me apart from the odd lucid moments. One last memory from that time was on her 60^th birthday, she was gesturing to my Aunt about something, turned out she wanted a cigarette, so my Aunt lit her up one and you could see the sheer pleasure on her wee face.

She passed away with her family around her and was eventually at peace. You hear people say those suffering with this disease don’t know what’s happening to them, but how can any of us know that, what if they feel it all but have no way of communicating that to anyone.

Sadly it hit our family a number of years later when our cousin Caroline (Caca), my Nan’s niece, was diagnosed at 48 and passed away at 60, leaving 2 beautiful children and 6 grandchildren.

I feel extremely honored for many reasons to be able to train and hopefully complete the 26.2 miles in memory of my Nan and Caroline.

I’ve felt my Nan around me, looking after me all my life. She’s left a lasting legacy in her 5 kids and 8 grandchildren, and I hope to do her proud on the 23^rd of April.

So if you are able, please donate what you can so that research can hopefully find a cure for this terrible disease which affects so many families.

Thank you

Sharri

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