Hi all.

Not my first fundraising begging post but a bit more serious than normal - my grandmother passed away after years of suffering with dementia two weeks ago, at the age of 96. 

I had already signed up for the Richmond Marathon at that point but running this race in her memory, as well as the memory of my other grandmother who died with Alzheimer's 10 years ago and everyone touched by dementia - and it does feel like it's all of us these days - was something I wanted to do immediately.

Some people don't like the word suffering attached to dementia and I understand why, but she suffered. It was a long route to her passing which she would not have wanted to see herself going through one bit, had she been able to. It was tough on her, it was tough on our family and it was tough on the staff caring for her.

I don't know if and when there will be a cure but in the absence of one, raising money for the care involved in dealing with dementia feels just as important for now. Anything you can donate would be hugely appreciated by all our family and more importantly, the people who need that support the most.