Laura Cumberland

I'm walking 30 Miles in September for Dementia UK

In September, I'm walking 30 miles to raise money for Dementia UK, a charity and a cause that has a very special place in my heart.

My dad was diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies before he died. In some ways, we were lucky that he never reached the later stages of the disease, although that was only because we sadly lost him before it could progress that far.

But dementia has touched my family in another, much longer way. My Aunt Jenny was diagnosed with Alzheimer's around ten years ago, and over those years we have watched this cruel disease gradually take more and more from her.

Dementia, in any of its forms, is devastating. It doesn't just steal memories. Little by little, it can strip away the things that make someone them: their independence, their personality, their connections and the life they knew.  It affects not only the person living with it, but everyone who loves them too.

So this September, I'll be walking my 30 miles for my dad, for Aunt Jenny, and for every family living with the impact of dementia.

If you can spare anything at all to sponsor me, I'd be incredibly grateful. Every donation, however small, will help Dementia UK support people living with dementia and the families who are walking this difficult road alongside them.

Thank you