Lauren Gatou

I often watched her when she got back from a 12 hour shift, exhausted, often falling asleep immediately after she'd finished her dinner. I admired her dedication when she spent Christmas day caring for people, even though I knew how much she loved her family Christmases.  I longed for the strong bonds and friendships she'd formed with her colleagues and enjoyed her funny stories about them. On my first day as an apprentice, I think I cried about 3 times, and considered doing a runner more times than I can count. It's remarkable how quickly that fear dissolved and I found myself to be a natural empath and striving for the high standards my own sister had modelled for so long. While I have to be honest, Kerry's work ethic, care standard and dedication to her role were impossible for me to match, I forged my own path and have found myself in the wellbeing role I hold today. Without Kerry,  I'm not sure where I'd be, I know for sure she gave me the strength and courage to see it through when we nursed our dad through his final days, along with our younger sister Nicola and our mum. I am very lucky to have an amazing family, and by supporting Dementia UK I am helping to ensure that there will be vital support provided to families at their time of need.