01 Oct Unite against dementia at Chelmsford Memory Walk
People across Essex are today being called on to unite against dementia by signing up for Alzheimer’s Society’s Chelmsford Memory Walk at Hylands Park on 6 October.
Gary Hawkins, whose mum has dementia, is urging people to register for the event to help the charity raise money to improve the lives of people affected by the disease
Alzheimer’s Society has pledged to invest £150 million in the next decade to search for better treatments and work towards a cure for dementia.
The Gary and his brother Marc, from Chelmsford, have seen their lives transformed since their mum Sheila was diagnosed with dementia.
Gary and Marc have now pledged to take part in a Marathon Memory Walk and asking for supporters to follow suit by going to memorywalk.org.uk to sign up for Chelmsford 2km or 7km this weekend.
Gary said, “Over the past four years our mum has been battling against vascular dementia, an illness that has not only affected my mum but all of our family. In January we made the choice to place my mum in the hands of a care home, which has left my dad without his partner in crime.
“My dad and mum have been married for over 50 years. The thought that all the memories my parents share and have made together for so long, may never be remembered, is the hardest part for them both.
This illness has affected our mum and she doesn’t even realise what it has done to her, we no longer have the chance to laugh and smile with my mum as this horrible condition means that every day, she forgets us a little bit more. Whilst we can’t change Mum’s illness, we can do something to help beat dementia in the future. This is my first Memory Walk we are doing it so show our gratitude to Alzheimer’s Society who have helped me and family so much.”
Across Essex over 12,000 people are living with dementia.
