Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
This page is in memory of my dear departed Grandmother, Catherine Grieve. My Grandmother developed dementia and suffered with this until she died in her sleep at 1.20pm, March 20th, 2004 in a hospice surrounded by the people who loved her most.
Dementia is a term for a range of illnesses. The most common type is Alzheimer’s disease, in which brain cells deteriorate through the build up of a protein. About 75% of people who are diagnosed with dementia will have either Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia, or a combination of the two. There are other forms of dementia which are less common. They include dementia with Lewy bodies, Pick’s disease, Huntington’s disease, alcohol-related dementias, and HIV/AIDS-related dementia.
It is the most soul destroying thing anyone can experience, to watch someone you love so dearly, fade away before your very eyes in such a slow and laborious manner. This has to be the most distressing experience my heart has ever had to bear. Every time I saw her something had changed. Try to imagine her confusion and tears after suddenly realising that her own mother was dead or that her sister was dead all over again. For me this was beyond endurance. The physical remains but the character and the person they were slowly ebbs away. It is not called "the cancer of the soul" for nothing. It took my grandmother eight years and in that time we as a family faced many trials and challenges to ensure that my grandmother kept her dignity and was cared for with respect and understanding.
In order to ensure that research and care continues for people and families living with dementia I will be competing in the Etape Caledonia ( www.etapecaledonia.co.uk ). The Etape Caledonia is an 81 mile/130km cycle challenge taking place on traffic-free roads in the Highlands of Perthshire. I will be doing this with my brother Guy and we hope to finish the course in 5 hours and 30 minutes.
I understand that times are tight for everyone and money may not be as easy to come by but I would really appreciate it if you could dig deep and spare even a small amount. This would mean so much to me and my family as we firmly believe that this terrible disease can be beaten with research and support.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.