As you may or many not be aware, my dad was diagnosed with Vascular dementia after 2x subarachnoid brain haemorrhages (strokes) around 10 years ago. This flipped his life & the entire family lives upside down. 

He worked as a welder/fabricator & enjoyed tinkering with a wide variety of things, from cars to remote control helicopters. However his health began to deteriorate rapidly, and he began to lose basic motor skills to eventually become a shadow of himself. 

Watching someone you love slowly become less and less of themselves is heartbreaking. He often gets confused, frustrated and sad, but cannot explain why so we can’t help. He forgets what he had for lunch half an hour ago, but can remember a fence he welded together over 30 years ago. 

The fact Alzheimer’s & dementia are one of the most common diseases with one of the highest death rates, yet there seems to have been no movement with providing a cure or at least a way of slowing the deterioration of the individuals with them, makes me unbelievably upset & disappointed in the world  

This is why I am running the Bath Half Marathon - because it definitely isn’t because I like running!’

Alzheimer’s Society is transforming the landscape of dementia forever. Until the day we find a cure, we will create a society where those affected by dementia are supported and accepted, able to live in their community without fear or prejudice.