Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

 

I thought it would be cool to give you a little back story as to why I am running the Cardiff Half Marathon and in particular, for The Alzheimer's Society.

 

It wasn't until my Grandfather, Fred or Grampa as we called him, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2008 that I had even heard of the illness of Alzheimer’s.

 

Grampa was a great guy. He fought in World War 2 as a serving member of the Royal Navy. Originally hailing from Devon, Grampa set up home in Treherbert, Rhondda, where he married my grandmother, Llillian.

 

Grampa kept himself to himself and was the most genuine and harmless person I have ever met. As a child he was quite "jolly" in shape, carrying a few extra pounds around the waistline (sorry Gramps..)

 

It was late in 2007 that we all noticed a grave change in Grampa's behaviour. After a long battle, Grampa was seen by medical experts who diagnosed him with Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Within the space of 6 months, Grampa had dropped to just over 7 stone and didn't recognise many of our family.

 

From sitting in his house and being told War stories in such an educated and intriguing way, I was then sat on the floor in the Elderly and Mentally Infirm (EMI) Ward with him, playing "soldiers", pretending to shoot each other and then drinking whiskey (namely Robinsons fruit juice) with him in a bar (his hospital ward).

 

It was heart-breaking. A man who fought for his country not knowing who his own children and grandchildren were, in the space of only SIX MONTHS!

 

Sadly, Grampa passed away on the 4th April 2008.

 

 

 

Merely two years later, my gran, Gwyneth or LAL as she was affectionately known, was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia.

 

Anyone who knows me on a personal level understands how close me and Lal were. From holidaying each year in Weymouth from the age of 2 up until the age of 20, we really did have a ball when we were together.

 

Lal lit up any room with her charm and hilarious humour, she was anyone and everyone’s friend and would give her last £1 to a stranger.

 

As you can imagine, having to sit in a hospital ward with one of the closest people to you, and they don't know who you really are, was and still is, heart-breaking.

 

Lal passed away on the 3rd December 2010, just a few hours after I left her to head down to Cardiff for my 22nd Birthday celebrations. 

 

Alzheimer’s and Dementia isn't a physical illness which makes it even harder for people to understand. I, like many people who have personally experienced these illnesses, agree that sometimes it's even harder for those people that are left behind.

 

50 plus years of marriage and all of the special moments that are shared together, forgotten in an instance.

 

Ever since I have lost my grandparents to these diseases, I have always wrote a Facebook status or donated a £1 here and there when I see any Alzheimer’s supporter.

 

However, I have never actively done anything to show how strongly I feel about these diseases. It is for this very reason, that back in April of this year I finally plucked up the courage to sign up to the Cardiff Half Marathon and show my support for the Alzheimer’s Society.

 

Being slightly (cough cough..) chubby, I've had many of the usual comments of "you couldn’t run a bath.." etc but this has merely spurred me on to finish the race and raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.

 

Already in the space of 7 weeks I have lost 16.5 lbs whilst training.

 

If you have any spare change, however small, please donate to my Justgiving page and my chosen charity, I really will appreciate it!

 

Thank you for taking time to read the reason why I'm running the Half Marathon and again, THANK YOU!!

 

James

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

 

So please give as little or as much as you can and donate today.

 

THANK YOU!!