Raising Funds for Alzheimer's Research UK
Modern medicine has extended our life expectancy well into the eighties. But if we make it to 80, we have at least a one in six chance of developing some form of dementia (of which Alzheimer's is by far the most common), and those odds shorten a good deal beyond 85. In the early stages of the disease, we are merely forgetful. Our short term memory then progressively degenerates until we can no longer read a book or a newspaper because, by the time we get to the end of a sentence, we've forgotten how it began. We are doomed to ask our loved ones the same questions - "who is coming to lunch today?" - over and over again. Those who care for us need the patience of saints, while they live with the heartbreak of witnessing the disintegration of the person they have known and loved, the departure of the mind leaving only an empty shell of a body.
Despite the fact that more than 800,000 people currently suffer from dementia in the UK, Alzheimer's research receives a tiny amount of funding compared with cancer and heart disease. We need to beat this miserable condition, and that means more research.
Alzheimer's Research UK is the country's leading dementia research charity. ARUK is currently funding 125 research projects across the UK, addressing diagnosis, causes, prevention and treatment of all forms of dementia.
I have a particular interest in Alzheimer's because my father suffered from it for the last 8 years of his life, and I have seen the terrible effects of the disease at first hand. There are several charities that fund research into dementia, but I have chosen to support ARUK because they are focused 100% on research. ARUK kindly awarded me one of their Golden Bond places in the 2012 London Marathon, and in return I have pledged to raise as much as I can to support their work.
If you would like to sponsor me, the easiest way is to visit my JustGiving page, via the link on this page. If you would prefer to write a cheque, please download the Gift Aid form from the Contact Me page on this site and send it with your cheque direct to Alzheimer's Research UK.