Sarah Fowkes
Sarah's London Marathon 2022 page
Fundraising for Alzheimer's Society
Story
This year I will be running the London Marathon to raise money for Alzheimer's Society, this is an incredibly personal challenge and I'm not sure how I will do, but I will start and do my very best to finish. Although I run, a marathon has always felt out of reach, running is my mental health relief but this will be quite a challenge for me. This is my biggest chance to raise as much money as I can towards dementia research. I do this in my mothers name, as well as aunties, grandmother and everyone who has ever encountered this terrible illness.
The decline into dementia and the grief it leaves in its wake is a an arduous journey full of stumbles and sink holes. There is much guilt that comes with watching helplessly as someone completely loses themselves. Its a terribly evil disease as you are grieving loved ones whilst they are still with you, and you see the fear as well as occasional light in their eyes that indicates they are still there behind the smoke. You miss that person beyond belief even though physically they are there still. Sometimes I wake from a very realistic dream where I am having lunch with my mum, a very normal, healthy mum, waking up and remembering the reality is hard. I was definitely not ready to go through this.
I am raising money for Alzheimer's society as even though my mum does not have Alzheimer's they conduct research across all types of dementia to fight it - as well as provide support for sufferers and their families. People seem scared of talking about dementia, it feels a bit taboo in society, we need to change the conversation around this and the journey might be less lonely.
Please add a donation - however much you can and help the fight.