Earlier this year my dad, Ian, was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. It’s a really difficult form of dementia. It manifests itself in hallucinations, confusion, memory issues, paranoia, physical stress and agitation, and countless other horrible symptoms. There’s no cure. There’s no real treatment. There’s not much to be done. 

Sadly it’s not as well known as some other forms of dementia. That’s why I’m hoping to shine a bit of a light on it for this year’s Dotty Days week.

To most people, an LBD will only ever mean a little black dress - and so it should. Sadly to those affected by Lewy bodies, LBD means something different. That’s why I’m looking to raise some money and get a little black dress tattooed on me in the hope that we can make a bit of a difference, research this awful disease, and raise a bit of awareness.

(Don’t worry, I’m paying for the tattoo with my own coin, I’m not a charlatan).

A bit about the charity: “The Lewy Body Society was founded in 2006 to support research into Lewy body dementia and to raise awareness of the disease. We aim to educate the public, the medical professions and those in decision-making positions about the disease, which unfortunately is still not well known.”