A WOKINGHAM woman is to go the extra mile this weekend in honour of her mum, who was diagnosed with dementia when she was just 48.
Emily Holdsworth, her sister, Nanna and more than a dozen close family and friends, will all be gathering in Windsor to take part in the Alzheimer’s Society’s Memory Walk.
Held in Alexandra Gardens on Sunday, September 11, the group decided to walk to raise funds for the charity that is helping her Mum, who is now 56.
Emily says that before the early onset dementia diagnosis, her Mum, Michelle, was a social butterfly.
The 27-year-old says: “You never suspect it’s dementia at such a young age.
“We noticed personality changes in mum, but because of her age these were originally put down to menopause and other conditions, such as bipolar and depression.
“When she was finally diagnosed with dementia, more than two years after we started noticing changes in her, it blew us sideways. Within a week she had lost her job and our future had been turned upside down.”
She added: “With other illnesses there is still hope that the person you love will come out the other side but with a dementia diagnosis, it felt like there was very little hope.”
Emily was 21 when her mum was diagnosed and stayed at home to care for Michelle until she moved into a nursing home in January last year..
“At times, because of mum’s age, it could be very isolating,” she explains.
“We would go to support groups and most of the people there with loved ones would be decades older than us.
“People were so kind, but not many people could truly understand the scale of what we were going through.”
Michelle’s condition is now advanced, but Emily says they still share special memories together.
“Mum adores singing and music, and it still brings her joy. Even though she no longer knows who we are, we still share memories together, especially through the music she loves, like ABBA. We feel very blessed to have her in our lives,” she says.
“This cruel disease has meant we have had to watch our mum slip away bit by bit so it will be nice to part of such a positive day.
“Mum loved walking and as she grew up in Windsor, where my nanna still lives, it seemed the perfect place to raise money and awareness.”
The Memory Walk brings together people who have been personally affected by dementia, those who want to walk to remember a loved one, and people looking to raise money for charity.
Linda Goddard, area manager for Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It has never been more important to support Alzheimer’s Society’s crucial work.
“Too many people across Berkshire are facing dementia alone without adequate support.
“We urgently need to find a cure, improve care and offer help and understanding for people affected.”
She adds: “We are in awe of our amazing fundraisers like Emily and her family, who go above and beyond to raise vital funds and awareness for local people living with dementia.
“Every step our fundraisers take will to help us provide a lifeline of support for as many people affected by dementia as possible.
“We can’t wait to see walkers of all ages and abilities return to Windsor this autumn and I would call on family, friends and colleagues from across the region to put their best foot forward to support this vital cause.”
Hundreds of walkers have already registered to take part in Windsor Memory Walk, which will be on the morning of Sunday, September 11.
Those who can’t make the official event can opt to walk on their own, or with loved ones, on the paths, pavements, parks or pebbles in a location of their choosing throughout September.
Memory Walk events have been a regular fixture in the Autumn calendar for more than 10 years, seeing half a million walkers raise over £41 million for Alzheimer’s Society.
For more details, log on to: memorywalk.org.uk
