On May 10th I will be running for 24 hours along The Offa's Dyke Path!

The 177 mile route goes from the top to bottom of Wales.

With 9,085 metres (29,806 ft) of elevation gain. Pretty Bumpy!

The Mission: How Far Can I Get In 24hrs?

& (with YOUR HELP)

Raise £600 for Dementia UK - funding a specialist dementia Helpline nurse for 24 hours.

Supporting people living with dementia and carers in crisis.

WHY?

Imagine being 49 and receiving the news that you have dementia.

Arriving home to tell your two teenage children that life as we know it is going to change - with no options for treatment.

Mum has been living (her best life!) with young onset dementia for 9 years. This has been a time of many changes:

- 2 years of noticing changes in herself and beginning the process of getting a dementia diagnosis in secrecy. Initially being told on three occasions from her GP that it was depression.

- 3 years of living with dementia in secrecy, just immediate family knowing due to worries of stigma and being treated differently.

- Being forced to retire from a job she loved.

- Losing and of course regaining her drivers license.No surprise for everyone who knows mum - One of the few remaining symbols of independence.

As time has passed this diagnosis of the family has evolved.

My hero (sister) has been Mums' primary carer since diagnosis, initially aged 19, she is now 29.

What were you doing between 19 and 29?

University? First Jobs? Relationships? Moving Away? Forging careers?

Being a carer is no 9 - 5. It's around the clock, from medication management, cooking, advocating in healthcare settings and often shifting from a daughter to an enforcer.

My sister is selfless and doesn't do it for praise, she does it because it's Mum.

Unpaid carers like my sister contribute a staggering £11.6 Billion on the cost of Dementia in the UK. (44% and the largest single contributor)

In return they experience:

Isolation, Stigma and often poor health outcomes.

The government compensates their contribution to the cost of dementia with Carer's Allowance - which is currently £67.25 a week.

This challenge is for Mum and my hero of a sister!

When someone has dementia, it is vital that their family and friends can access specialist advice, support and understanding to help them help their loved one.

But for thousands of families, living with dementia can mean fear and confusion, not only for the person with dementia, but also for the people caring for them and their wider family and friends. Every day and every moment can throw up new and complex challenges; trying to support someone with dementia can be exhausting and overwhelming. It is easy for family carers to become isolated as they put their own lives on hold to take on a role that can push them to breaking point.

But there is a lifeline. Dementia UK

The specialist dementia nursing charity that is there for the whole family, working towards a day where no one has to face dementia alone. Their specialist nurses, known as Admiral Nurses, provide life-changing advice and support, to anyone affected by dementia, whenever it is needed - whether it’s on their Helpline, through our clinic service, or in the community.

Every three minutes someone in the UK develops dementia. Today there are around 944,000 people living with dementia, (including 70,800 living with young onset dementia, where symptoms develop under the age of 65)

As diagnosis rates increase every year, we need radical change so families get the support they need. We need more specialist Admiral Nurses and we need better understanding and awareness of the reality of dementia. As the only UK-wide charity dedicated to specialist dementia nursing, we want every family to know we will be there to support them – for as long as they need

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.