Thank you all for taking the time to visit our Just giving page. Myself (Sé) and Rachel are really excited to take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon this October, raising money for Dementia UK.

We really want to share Rachel’s story to keep spreading awareness around Dementia and all its types. Read Rachel’s story below:

In may 2023 my dad was diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Dementia at the age of 52.

FTD is a rare form of dementia affecting around one in 20 people with a dementia diagnosis. It affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which are responsible for personality, behaviour, language and speech, usually diagnosed in those aged between 45 -64, sometimes younger.

In our case my dad went undiagnosed for years with it being portrayed as depression. This is because of the misconception that dementia only occurs in older people and usually involves memory loss.

When my dad was diagnosed I knew nothing about the illness and I didn’t realise how quickly he would deteriorate or how much our lives would change in a heartbeat. Thankfully, Dementia UK were there to provide me the support and knowledge around FTD. Which is why I signed up to run the London Royal Parks half marathon to raise money for this incredible charity so they can keep helping families just like mine.