Andy, a native French speaker, sat nervously in his early-stage dementia support group. He began addressing the group in English, discussing the struggles he was finding himself facing in his every day-to-day tasks when suddenly he continued on with his story in his native tongue. After a few moments Andy understood what had just happened as we all looked confused and clearly had not responded to something he asked. In that moment Andy began to cry and said, "I'm losing myself. I'm losing myself every day and there is nothing I can do to stop it. All the time I sit and wonder, will this be the last moment I remember who I am?"

Since having met Andy and the other members of that support group, I have come to sit alongside many individuals and their families in all stages of this illness during my professional career. Patients and families will often thank their social worker for 'everything you have done' for them. What they don't realize is all that they did for me, too. 

Around 225,000 people develop dementia every year, that's roughly 1 person every 3 minutes. This September I will be running in the Berlin Marathon to raise money for a world without dementia. It's only in partnership with you- arm in arm, step by step and pound by pound will we collectively make a difference in the fight to create this world without dementia. 

The road of marathon training is going to be tough as I’ve been working through some painful issues related to having scoliosis. BUT, that will not stop me in this marathon. You all will be my motivation through each of those long miles. Thank you for your support :)