My dad, Eric, was 73, he lost his battle with vascular dementia on 28th June 2023.

It was back in May 2018 he was diagnosed with vascular dementia. Its such a terrible illness that deprived him of the retirement that he had planned for.

My mum was his full time carer and his days were spent being hoisted from his bed to a chair, and hoisted back from his chair to his bed.

He lost the ability to communicate and what noises he did make were not coherent words. He lost the ability to eat solid foods, everything had to be blended, and his drinks had to be thickened to stop any fluid accidentally reaching his lungs.

Their home had to be adapted, losing the dining room to be where his bed was and have an electronic hoist fitted.

The impact this illness had was considerable, most of all on both my dad and mum. 

It is estimated that every 3 seconds a new case of dementia is diagnosed somewhere in the world!

I have set myself the challenge of completing 5km a day for a year and in the process of doing so raising money for the Alzheimer's Society to support the amazing work that they do in supporting so many families who are in the same position as my own - hopefully one day this terrible indiscriminate illness will be eradicated!

If you have found this page and donated then I offer you my thanks, I am extremely grateful as I appreciate that times right now are extremely difficult!