On Sunday April 12th, I’ll be lacing up my trainers once again, this time for the Paris Marathon, running for a cause that’s painfully close to home.

You’ll remember John, my father-in-law. For another year of his life, he’s living with severe dementia. A disease that forces him to exist in constant uncertainty. Waking each day not knowing where he is, who he’s with, or what’s coming next. It’s a battle I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Thanks to your generosity last year, we raised over £3,000!! That support meant everything, and to honour it, I knew I couldn’t just do the same thing again — I have to do more.

So this year, I’m not running alone.

I’m joined by Sam, John’s eldest son. Like me last year, Sam isn’t a runner. But he understands the privilege we still have, the ability to choose discomfort, to sacrifice time and energy, knowing it’s nothing compared to what people living with dementia endure every single day.

John is the strongest man we know. What he goes through every waking minute, living in the unknown, is beyond comprehension. He won’t know it, but his resilience, simply being here today, is something I’ll carry with me through every mile of the Paris streets.

We can’t take this disease away from those already living with it. But we can fight for the families who come after.

Let Alzheimer’s Research UK do the science.

We’ll do the running.

If you’re able to donate (big or small!) you’re helping push research forward, bringing us closer to a world where families don’t have to experience this heartbreak.

Thank you for reading this, for John, and for everyone affected by dementia.

Big love,

Nick