The three friends walked 60 miles over 5 days from Monday 13 May to Friday 17 May in memory of John’s late wife Pat who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in her early 60s and died just five years later at just 66 years of age. Frontotemporal dementia impacts the parts of the brain that control speech and behaviour and counts as an uncommon type of dementia. FTD tends to start at a younger age of 45-65 while other types of dementia mostly affect people over 65.
“Pat was diagnosed with FTD in 2012, 18 months after her retirement as a nurse in the NHS. Following her diagnosis her decline was rapid, resulting in loss of speech, an inability to swallow and for the final months she was forced to use a wheelchair. Throughout all of this she was always able to recognise us all and was aware until very close to the end of her life. Since her diagnosis, I have been helping to raise awareness of young onset dementia and also raise funds for Alzheimer's Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity dedicated to understanding the causes, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dementia.”, said John.
“Pat was diagnosed with FTD in 2012, 18 months after her retirement as a nurse in the NHS. Following her diagnosis her decline was rapid, resulting in loss of speech, an inability to swallow and for the final months she was forced to use a wheelchair. Throughout all of this she was always able to recognise us all and was aware until very close to the end of her life.
Since her diagnosis, I have been helping to raise awareness of young onset dementia and also raise funds for Alzheimer's Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity dedicated to understanding the causes, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dementia.”, said John.
The trio raised almost £3000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK. Their efforts will help fund vital dementia research in the North East. The walk started from Stockton-on-Tees where Pat made here home in 1985, bringing up 3 sons and working as an NHS nurse, and ended at the Campus for Ageing and Vitality in Newcastle upon Tyne where Alzheimer's Research UK sponsor a number of research projects.
John was welcomed by Newcastle Researcher Dr Daniel Erskine and members of the Dementia, Mental Health and Neurodegeneration research team of the NIHR Newcastle BRC.
"Investment in research to understand the causes of the diseases that underlie dementia is the only path to a treatment that will change the lives of people affected by dementia. That's why we are so grateful to John, Patricia and Terry for the their fundraising for Alzheimer's Research UK, a research-focused dementia charity who fund significant amounts of research currently on-going at Newcastle University. So thank you, John, Patricia and Terry!", said Daniel Erskine.
Walk to a Cure is a fundraising campaign by the leading dementia research charity Alzheimer’s Research UK which is committed to revolutionising the way we treat, diagnose and prevent dementia. Dementia affects almost one million people in the UK alone and has a huge impact on families. It is most commonly caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
Sara Hoxhaj, North East Regional Fundraising Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“We are so grateful to John, Patricia and Terry for taking on this walking challenge in memory of John’s wife Pat. We could not do the work we do without supporters like them. Their incredible efforts help us power the most forward-thinking scientists working to find a cure for dementia. We can’t wait to follow their journey during Dementia Awareness Week.”
John’s fundraising efforts
Alzheimer’s Research UK