I’m Heather and my friend Siobhán recently lost her father, who had been battling this disease for a number of years, followed quickly by my friend Izzy losing her grandmother too. In search of something positive to focus on in a period of deep grief, we have decided to raise funds for a charity in support of this illness. 

More personally, my Nana Dory, who suffered from early onset Alzheimer’s and sadly died in May 2017, was a wonderful character whose gradual mental decline still allowed her some independence but was both worrying and obvious to all who loved her. Nana Dory’s sister Rosa and brother Eric had both suffered severe mental declines and we feared for what was to come. A serious fall saw our Nana taken into hospital, and further complications meant we lost her sooner than any of us were prepared for. 

I’m forever grateful that my children knew their Nana Dory and that her repetitive stories and phrases (a sign of her mental decline), have become beloved family catch-phrases, keeping her memory alive. I’d also love, though, to help erase this condition which steals our loved ones from us, piece by piece. 

As Nana would say “You don’t have to be mad to live here...” to which we’d all reply: “...oh yes you do!!”