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I am taking part in the Defeat Dementia Walk in Ipswich on 14th October 2017 to raise money for research into Alzheimer's Disease. The walk will be a brisk 10 miles taking in many of the sights of the beautiful town of Ipswich.

I am undertaking this walk in memory of my dear mother Alison Cuningham who is pictured above aged 43 in Guernsey with me (in my lovely NHS specs) and my three sisters Veronica, Helen and Joanna.

None of us could have wished for a better mother, she was kind, thoughtful, loving, selfless, funny, supportive and intelligent.  She was a brilliant mother to us, wonderful wife to my dad John, fantastic friend to all the many people she made friends with and I'm sure her surviving brother Donald and sister Jinny would say she was a great sister too, as well as loving daughter to her late parents Hugh and Margaret Gardner. You just couldn't fault her in any way.

She was extremely modest and was once described as the 'Champion of the Underdog' obviously a trait I've learned from her with my boundless love and loyalty to Ipswich Town FC. However she was a real champion, a champion golfer although you'd have had to drag that information out of her, such was her modesty. It was only when we'd all grown a bit older did she go back to concentrating on golf as nothing was more important to her when we were growing up than devoting her time to her family. She truly was my best friend and confidante, I told her everything, including when I'd ingeniously stolen a bar of chocolate from a vending machine and when I'd played truant one day. She made me own up about the chocolate and didn't punish me for the truancy as she knew my punishment was my anguish and guilt. 

When my love for Ipswich Town developed it was mum who took me, Joanna and two of my friends to my first game, that was a brave thing to do bearing in mind none of us had been to Ipswich before and it was at the height of football hooliganism. Any concerns she may have had were put aside as she knew how happy I'd be to go to Portman Road. 

Probably the biggest act of her selflessness and love was demonstrated in August 1993 as she waved me off  at Heathrow Airport for me to go on a year's backpacking holiday, less than a month after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. There was no question that she'd ask me to cancel my plans, she wanted me to go and enjoy and experience what I'd been yearning to do. Of course I checked with the Consultant first that as far as he could tell she'd still know me on my return and the disease wouldn't have progressed too far.

July 1993 rocked my whole world and the rug really was well and truly pulled from under my feet. Aged just 56, my dear mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease. This was such a shock as her mother at the time was a very with it mid 80 something  and her Grandmother had lived to 92 with all her faculties in tact, I never questioned growing up that my mum would be exactly the same. I suppose some signs and symptoms had already manifested itself but I never, ever thought something so awful could happen. My dear mum had 3 young Grandchildren at this stage and one of her first reactions was that she'd not be able to continue being the Grandmother she'd wanted and expected  to be. 

Even with this devastating news my mum wanted to do good. She took part in research trials and agreed that upon her death she'd donate her brain to research as she wanted to help to combat this disease to help others affected. She knew it wouldn't be able to assist her but as ever was thinking of others.

She lived for five and a half more years and had 2 more Grandchildren by the time she sadly died aged 61 on 16th December 1998. Dying just before Christmas was a cruel twist of fate, mum loved Christmas and made it such fun for us. I loved Christmas growing up with mum. She was also a devout Christian so it meant so much to her. To this day I sometimes have to run out of shops when I hear carols playing.

On a brighter note we were fortunate that her personally didn't change and that she remained a sweet, lovely person, there was no aggression or violence which I know can manifest in this Disease. I believe she still knew who we all were too which was a blessing if you can look for one, as I don't know how I'd have managed if she didn't. The last time  I saw her in the family home I remember being in my bedroom and she came up there to see me. She knew who I was and which room I'd be in, even though I was living in London at that stage.

I want to walk in honour and memory of my lovely, lovely mother and in turn raise funds for invaluable research so that those who are living with dementia now and who will be in the future have a chance of a cure.

I'd also like to thank all my friends and family who supported me so well and emotionally through the time mum was living with Dementia and especially after her death. I would be lying if I said I'm over it, I don't think I ever will be but I've learned to live again and with it.

I'd also like to thank my dad John for all his love and support and taking on the role of both parents. We may all be adults now, I'm the only one of my siblings still in my 40s, but you don't ever stop wanting a mother's love.

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