Natikah J

I'm walking 30 Miles in September for Dementia UK

This September, I’m walking 30 miles for Dementia UK and I’m doing it for my mum too. ❤️

I’m taking on this challenge to help ensure that no family faces dementia alone, but also because I want to raise awareness about the reality of dementia and the challenges families can face behind closed doors.

My mum was once an incredibly independent, capable person who spent much of her life caring for and supporting others. Seeing her living with dementia now has been incredibly difficult.

But there is another side of dementia that people don’t always talk about: when the people around you struggle to accept it.

Sometimes, because family members remember the person your loved one used to be, they simply cannot accept the changes they are seeing. They remember how capable and independent that person once was, and it can be incredibly difficult to understand how much dementia can change someone.

And when people struggle to accept the diagnosis or the reality of those changes, those closest to the person especially the family members involved in their day-to-day care can sometimes find themselves having to explain, reassure and help others understand what they are seeing. This can be incredibly painful. 😓

But this is the reality for some families living with dementia. And it is one of the reasons I feel so strongly about raising awareness.

Dementia is not simply forgetting a few things. It can change a person’s behaviour, communication, abilities, judgement and relationships. Sometimes the person you knew so well can become very different from the person you remember, while still being the same person you love.

Families need understanding, not judgement. They need support, not disbelief. And the person living with dementia deserves to have their condition recognised and understood.

So I’m walking these 30 miles for my mum, for my family, and for every family trying to navigate the reality of dementia.

Your donation, big or small, can make a difference. £33 could fund a new dementia specialist Admiral Nurse to spend an hour helping a family in the community, offering practical solutions and emotional support to cope with their loved one’s distressed behaviour.

If you’re able to support me, I would be incredibly grateful. And if you can’t donate, please share this and help me raise awareness about what dementia can really look like.

Sometimes, understanding is one of the greatest forms of support we can give.

Thank you for supporting me and for helping me do this for my mum. ❤️