Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My mother, Josephine Smallcombe, was the kindest, most loving and insipiring mother, wife and friend to so many people. She touched people in Thurrock, Devon and elsewhere with her personality, devotion and understanding. An extremely intelligent woman, it was terrible for everyone to see her mind being taken bit by bit by disease. Over a long time we watched her struggling to come to terms with what it was doing to her. My father, Jeff, did a wonderful job in caring for her, as did my sister Kay, brother Glenn and his wife Fiona.

Mum had been a teacher when she was young, before raising a family and working in the family business. When the family relocated to Devon, the family home became a sanctuary for friends and family to escape, recuperate and mum was always there for everyone, always helping, in control, never flustered, even with multiple families staying in the house for weeks on end. If you've ever seen The World According to Garp, mum was the Glenn Close of our family.

She worked tirelessly for other people, always. She did voluntary work for Citizens Advice Bureau with dad, and helped to bring the village into the twentieth century (they didn't have street lights until mum got it done in the 80s!).

About fifteen years ago we saw the first signs of mum's illness. Having seen her own mother suffer with dementia, she knew too well what was going to happen. She was great at hiding the symptons, having a few stock phrases to say when she didn't recognise someone or recall a name. But inveitably, her life slowly crumbled due the Alzheimers. She died peacefully five years ago, and I think it's time I did something for her.

She was a wonderful woman, and she was the type of person who would make a difference. Please give what you can to help find a cure.

Brett

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