A Honiton mother and daughter will both swim five kilometres during May to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Abbie Stickland and her mother Lisa have been driven to take up the challenge by the devastating impact of the condition on their own family.
Abbie’s grandfather John was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s nine years ago, and his condition deteriorated drastically when the Covid pandemic put an end to socialising and family visits.
Caring for him singlehandedly was putting a huge strain on Abbie’s grandmother, and then she fell and fractured her shoulder, meaning she was no longer able to look after him.
The family made the difficult decision to move John to a care home and, after the first they tried was unable to meet his needs, they found him a place at a different home in Exeter where he is receiving excellent care.
But now his wife has also been diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s, meaning the family are facing yet more heartbreak.
Abbie said: “Dementia slowly eats away at the people you love until a shell of that person is left behind causing you to grieve for someone who is still living before eventually taking them completely.
“Our incredible grandparents/parents have both been cursed with this horrible disease. It is one of the hardest things to watch someone you love so dearly slowly slip out of their body and become a shell of the people you love. The heartache of them not remembering you is unforgettable. Grief is hard but grieving for a person who is still alive is even worse.
“Every three seconds a new dementia diagnosis is given worldwide. In the UK alone almost 600 people develop dementia every day. This cruel disease isn’t picky with its victims and affects people of all ages. One in three children born in the UK today will develop dementia. Something has to change.
“If you or someone you know has suffered with dementia and you are able to donate, it really would mean the absolute world to us. “
To support Abbie and Lisa’s fundraising, visit their GoFundMe page.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here