I'm taking part in Quit for a bit for Alzheimer's Society. Every pound I raise will help someone living with dementia. Thank you for sponsoring me!

6 years ago my lovely mum, Helen, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Up until this point, she was a highly  active lady who enjoyed cooking, painting, singing, dancing, knitting, and taking courses to learn new skills, always finding something to fill her time. She was also a devoted mum and grandmother and loved nothing more than taking care of her family. Unfortunately, today, she is unable to do any of this. 

The hardest thing to accept with her diagnosis was that there was literally NO HOPE. We were told within the first consultation that there were no drugs or treatment that could reverse or stop this disease from progressing. This was immediately followed by the advice to promptly arrange power of attorney as it was only a matter of time before she would no longer have the capacity to make decisions for herself. 

It’s been tremendously painful to watch the person she once was slowly slip away from us. The last few months have been particularly challenging as her illness has progressed quite rapidly. Not only has she lost all independence but she is now also very confused and often scared and unsettled even in the company of people who she has known and loved. 

Dementia is the 2nd biggest cause of death in the UK yet there has been no significant progress in treatment in the last 30 years. To add to this, Dementia support and care services are underfunded and the routes to seeking help can often be slow and complicated to navigate.

For this reason, I am once again joining the Alzeimers Society ‘Quit for a Bit’ campaign, embarking on a month of NO SUGAR. Anyone who knows how much I love Haribo sweets will understand that this is not as easy as it may sound! I hope that you will help to support this wonderful charity by donating whatever you can to raise vital funds for continued research so that a cure can be found as soon as possible and so that dementia sufferers and their families can get the help they so desperately need.

Thank you x