Hello wonderful person, 

Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page for the London Marathon 2018.

I'm super nervous and super excited to have been offered a place on the London Marathon next year and cannot wait to raise more money for the incredible Alzheimer's Society. 

I ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon in 2017 for Alzheimer's Society and have been overwhelemed by the sponsorship and support for the race. As many of you have already donated I'm aware you're familiar with the reasons I raise money for Alzheimer's Society, but for those of you who don't here's a little snippet of why the charity means so much to me. 

When I was 4 I lost my Granny to Alzheimer's. At such a young age it didn't have the largest impact on me, but for my family it was very destructive. Little did we know that 15 years later the disease would rear its ugly head again to take over not one, but three members of my beautiful family. 

Earlier this year my two step-grandparents moved in with my Mum and Stepdad back in Cambridge, unable to look after themselves or one another anymore. Barry had a stroke 4 years ago and never fully recovered, instead gradually started to decline both mentally and physically. Despite moving Barry to ours we're now having to look for a care home where he has round the clock care that we as a family are underqualified to provide. A massive reason for Barry to move is Jackie, his wife, who has also been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Still in the early stages of the illness, my Mum and Stepdad are dealing with Jackie's confusion, denial and upset on a daily basis, as well as Jackie trying to come to terms with it herself. Alzheimer's is so cruel - we still see the same beautiful people in Jackie and Barry but gradually it is chipping away and taking a part of them each day. 

While Jackie and Barry are living at home, my Mum's side of the family are now dealing with the diagnosis of my Grandpa's Alzheimer's, juggling alongside my Grandma's lung cancer treatment. When I go back to Cambridge, which I wish I could more, my family are always on the run, fetching and carrying to and from the hospital or doctor's surgery and still making enough time for a cuppa and a chat when settling my Grandparents back into home. They truly are phenomenal. 

So I'm running this for them - for my caring family, my wonderful Grandparents and my incredible Mother for doing everything she can, as always. 

Alzheimer's Society have directly offered help to my family; support, advice, phone numbers, care home details etc. and it's exactly the kind of care that's needed when you feel hopeless or alone. To find out more about this amazing charity follow this link: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk

I really appreciate your time to read my story and thank you in advance for all of your support and love as always. 

Bel x