Hi All,

I have only done a sponsored something once in the past 20 years. Not normally a fan. And please do not feel obligated in any way as I am sending this mail for awareness as much as sponsorship.

On 22 May my Dad will be 82, and will have been married for nearly 60 years. For all of his life until his early seventies he was fit and healthy. He ate well, never smoked and hardly drank. For many years he and I did an annual long distance walk together – normally 100 plus miles - averaging 25 miles a day. He didn’t say much as we walked along. A private person he was 100% reliable, selfless, incredibly honest and hardworking.

One of the things we did discuss was getting older and I remember he would often say that he never wanted to be a burden or worse still in a home, incapacitated and having someone do everything for him. It was his idea of hell.

In 2013 Dad was officially diagnosed with Alzheimers, stage 4. We had known for some years before that. Dad knew – he had a badge saying “I have Alzheimers please be patient” and used to apologise to anyone he spoke to that he had something wrong with his brain. And Mum used to put notes in his pocket if he went out and became lost, so he could give them to someone to get directions back. After 5 years of struggling at home, in September 2018, Mum made that incredibly difficult, impossible actually, decision, Dad went into a
care home. Apart from his brain he was in tip top shape.

He has been there ever since. For the past year he has barely spoken and now sleeps for the majority of the day – in a wheelchair now – he is 100% reliant on others for everything. Who knows how much he is actually feeling or understanding – I hope and pray that it is little as his existence is the very thing that he never ever wanted. He is now in stage 7 of 7. One lovely thing – when he does wake up and sees Mum on her daily visits he often smiles. There is something going on in his head. 

So on June 5^th I am doing a 26 mile walk around London for the Alzheimer’s Charity. I am doing it with my sister and two of my best friends – whose dads also have Alzheimers. I know there will be many of you reading this with identical stories. It is a simply horrendous disease which has no cure today and in March resumed its usual place as the biggest cause of death in the UK.

I dread getting it and want to raise awareness and a bit of cash towards research.     

Thanks for reading.

Nick