In April 2026, my brother Bruno and I will be running the Paris Marathon in memory of my Nonna who passed away from Dementia last year. Having a loved one suffer from Dementia is hard and I wanted to run to support this amazing charity that provides assistance to families going through the same thing that my family went through.

Nonna had an incredible support system around her. One of the main priorities for Nonna was to stay in the house she had lived in for over 50 years - that she’d bought with her beloved late husband Nonno Bruno and brought up her two kids (my Dad and Auntie Anna) in. She loved to garden and was very proud of the tomatoes, cucumbers, chillis etc that she grew, and she managed to continue this hobby for as long as possible. As Nonna lived in Canada, her carers enabled us to still feel connected with her through regular face time calls and text updates. I am forever grateful to her carer, Janice, for the support she provided to both Nonna and our family.

Dementia UK nurses provide free support to families who are caring for someone with dementia. They help families through what is a very difficult time, through from diagnosis to end-of-life care. I saw how fundamental a good support system was to caring for Nonna, and want other families to feel that they are not going through this alone.