Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am running London Marathon 2024, in memory of my mum who sadly suffered from Dementia.

In the later stages of her life, my mum's dementia started to take over. At first it was funny, how she would forget things or get confused or hide things. I should not have been so light hearted about it. As the dementia got worse so did the confusion and aggresion.

It was a horrible experience, which became more hurtful when she failed to recognise you. Or the fact that you couldn't have a conversation with her. Especially as she lived on the other side of the world, and would disconnect the phone because she did not know who you were.

I feel that I failed her as a son. I used the distance and not speaking to her on the phone as an excuse becuase I could not cope or bear to see her that way. I should have asked for support; I should have spoken to someone for advice, rather than bury my head in the sand.

I now have to live with the guilt that I shoul have been there but wasn't.

I hope that if I ever get dementia, that my children get the support and help to cope, so that they do not end up making the same mistake I did of ignoring the condition.