Our lovely Mum Joan was diagonosed in November 2017, with Lewy Body Dementia. She passed away on the 14th July 2018. This brain disease is not as well known as other types of dementia yet is a cruel disease with devestating consequences.

We as a family knew something was very wrong but the doctors could not identify a cause. Her memory started to get worse, she often forgot who her daughters and grandchildren were and then her balance mechanism stopped, resulting in a broken wrist followed a month later with a broken hip. She very soon became bed bound.

The previous year Mum was undiagosed and had to undergo a barrage of tests.

It was only when she started having hallucinations that the medical team opted for a DATscan, which showed small clumps of protein that had built up inside nerve cells in her brain. The protein clumps damage the way the nerve cells work and communicate.

Mum was finally diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.

The average life expectancy from diagnosis is 5-7 years. Our Mum who has always been healthy only lived for 8 months.

Through this time we had a lovely team of Carers, District Nurses and a wonderful Occupational Therapist. However despite this we were always playing catch up as she was deteriorating so quickly.

The nurturing Mother who cared for us, and so many others in her local community, was now dependant on us. We had to be her voice, her support system and her advocate. And we wouldnt have had it any other way.

Mum requested no wreaths at her funeral but would have been very grateful for a donation to a charity, and what better cause then to the research into Lewy Body Dementia.💗