vicki spiller

Supporting Dementia UK: For My Gran, With Love

Dementia is a word that used to mean very little to me. It was something I’d heard of, but didn’t fully understand until it touched my family in the most personal and heartbreaking way.

My gran was the kind of woman you couldn’t forget. Full of love always ready with a cheeky grin and she would do anything for anyone . She was the glue of our family, the keeper of traditions .Watching her change, slowly at first, and then more quickly as dementia took hold, was like losing little pieces of her day by day.

The hardest part wasn’t just the memory lossit was watching someone so full of life and independence need help with even the smallest things. It was her forgetting where she was, or who we were, or confusing past and present. But through it all, she never stopped being my gran. And we never stopped loving her for who she was, not just who she used to be.

This is why I’m raising money for Dementia UK.

They provide specialist dementia nurses who offer life-changing support to families going through what we go through. Their work is a lifeline guidance through the confusion, emotional support during the hardest days, and practical help for caregivers who are giving their all.

Dementia is cruel. But love is stronger. And together, we can make a difference.