My Story

So why am I running the London Marathon for Dementia UK?

I’ve completed many races during my years of running, from road races to exhausting, endless trial races. They were all for self-fulfilment, for the challenge and to break the mental barriers for what I considered possible. 

It is time to channel my obsession in a new direction. To help and support the superhuman Admiral Nurses working with Dementia UK. 

That new tshirt or after work pint won't keep you happy for long, but helping a good cause might......

My experience with dementia:

Selecting to aid this charity was a simple decision having experienced the debilitating impact of dementia firsthand. 

My grandmother sadly suffered from the condition in her later life and I watched on as a loving, caring, charitable woman became a shell of her former self. But sadly, she was not the only victim of this degenerative condition. My grandfather gave his all to support her. Washing her. Feeding her. Lifting her into bed. And battling through the mental pain of watching the love of his life fade before his eyes. For too many years he fought this battle mostly alone, with the only support coming from family members. Not once did he complain or begrudge his situation, but all too often I saw him cry in the evening from the exhaustion of the day's endeavors. A man in his late 80s giving his life for the care of his wife. To this day, I will never be able to comprehend how he found the resilience and mental strength to provide the infinite care and love required to care for someone suffering from dementia. There was no support. No guidance. No rest. No break from dawn to dusk. My grandfather is one of the many forgotten victims of dementia. 

I do not want to stand by with the knowledge that a charity like Dementia UK exists and not assist with ensuring these services remaining available to people in nee. Providing a support structure and assistance for people in similar positions to my grandfather. Had my grandfather had access to an Admiral Nurse, he would have received the required support and specialist guidance he needed to cope with his wife’s condition. 

Unfortunately, he did not have this vital lifeline and after the passing of my grandmother, the years of stress finally took their toll. Days of endless worrying and mental fatigue severely impacted his health. He spent the later years in of his life in a care home and passed away a few years ago.

A man who gave his all, in the end, succumbed to the burden of his endless love and care for his wife. 

I do not want others to fight this battle alone. We all know someone with dementia. We are all aware of the crippling impact of this condition on both patients and caregivers. Either now or in the future, we will need the support of an Admiral Nurse.

Every three minutes someone in the UK develops dementia. Help me to ensure these irreplaceable carers receive the care they need too. Let’s not forget the invisible victims of dementia.