As all those impacted will know, it is hard to put into words the grief of losing someone who is still very much part of the family and deeply loved. For me and my family, it has been a really slow process. We first noticed signs of my dad’s dementia when he retired, with a formal diagnosis of Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s coming a couple of years later, around the time I had my youngest child and only son.
My Dad has always been my hero: so calm, with a quiet confidence and wisdom that gained respect. He was clever, both in retaining facts and in his creativity. As a little girl, he made me countless things, including a 4 poster bed and the best Wendy House around! As I grew up, he offered the best life advice, which I will always be grateful for.
My Dad is now so vulnerable. Whilst upsetting, there is a warmth and innocence that brings special moments and the odd laugh. His sense of humour was the last thing to go. He was cracking witty jokes long after he remembered his family, and that’s okay.
I feel very grateful for my family. I have 2 older brothers and caring sisters-in-law, and together we have given our parents 7 grandchildren who all adore my Dad, even if the younger ones do not remember him when he was well. The real credit for his good quality of life in the early years after diagnosis is my Mum. The strength needed to look after him 24/7 is hard to imagine and I praise her for my Dad’s longevity and the lasting memories we have made since his diagnosis.
Running the London Marathon is something I’ve always felt is out of my reach, but seeing how carers do difficult things every day, has made me want to push myself and raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society. It is a cruel disease that needs further support and research.

My grandmother Colette was diagnosed with Alzheimer's around a year and a half ago. She has always been one of the most loving and important people in my life, and seeing her live with this disease has been incredibly difficult for me and my family.

Alzheimer's is a particularly difficult disease because it gradually changes someone you have known and loved your entire life. It has been hard to watch my grandmother face these changes, but throughout it all, her importance to our family has never changed. If anything, this experience has brought us closer together. We have become more conscious of the time we spend with her, the memories we share, and the importance of being there for one another.

My grandmother has given so much love to our family throughout her life, and supporting Alzheimer's Society is one small way I can give something back. I hope to help raise awareness and support the research, care, and services that make a difference to people living with dementia and the families around them.

I am taking on this challenge in honour of Colette, out of love and gratitude for everything she has given me, and for all the families who are going through a similar experience.

My Mum, Pat (78) has mixed dementia - vascular and Alzheimers. Her world has been in turmoil for the last 5 years and progressively becoming more confusing. The words she regularly uses are around 'being scared'. Mum has shrunk in size and in confidence but she is still my Mum. She once was a force to be reconned with but now I just want to wrap her in cotton wool, cuddle her and keep her safe. My dad and I care for my mum with some respite. The system is sparse to support this but we make it work. The Dementia cafe we attend is incredible. But I was lucky enough to see the writing on the wall with my mums health and I went travelling for 3 years before becoming a carer for Mum. I could not have timed it any better, but like most diseases you cannot predict time frames. Instead we made a promise to 'laugh every day'!

I’m running the London Marathon for the Alzheimer’s Society for my beautiful wife who has Young Onset Alzheimer’s and for my daughter’s who love and care for her but miss what she was - love to everyone on this difficult emotional journey x

In April 2026, I sadly lost my mum following a long battle with Alzheimer's. Watching someone you love go through this disease is incredibly difficult. Alzheimer's doesn't just affect the person diagnosed; it impacts the entire family and everyone around them.

I am running the London Marathon in Mum's memory, raising money to support Alzheimer's charities and, just as importantly, raise awareness of a disease that affects so many families.

During the final five years of Mum's life, she was cared for by the incredible team at Prince George House in Ipswich, Suffolk. The compassion, kindness and dedication they showed Mum and our family will never be forgotten. I will always be hugely grateful for everything they did.

Crossing the finish line won't be the end of this journey. I am already planning my next fundraising event, because I want to continue supporting this cause and keeping Mum's memory alive long after the marathon is over.

My beautiful nan is 93 years old, and she is the reason I will be standing on the start line of the 2027 London Marathon for Alzheimer’s Society.

Growing up, my nan was always such a special part of my life. Someone I never imagined I would have to watch slowly change because of a disease as cruel as dementia.

Dementia is heartbreaking because it doesn’t just affect the person living with it, it affects everyone who loves them. There is something incredibly painful about watching someone who has been such a big part of your life slowly lose parts of the person you’ve always known.

My nan has faced so much, and watching her become increasingly vulnerable has been one of the hardest things I’ve experienced. It’s taught me just how precious the smallest moments are, and how important it is to cherish every second with the people we love.

I’m only 23, and taking on 26.2 miles will undoubtedly be one of the biggest challenges of my life. But whenever training gets difficult, I’ll remind myself why I started.

I’m running for my nan, for the memories we’ve made, for the moments dementia can never take away, and for every family experiencing the same heartbreak.

If the miles I run and the money I raise can help bring us even one step closer to a world where fewer families have to experience this pain, every single step will be worth it.

26.2 miles. For my nan. For every memory. For a future without dementia. 💙

Love Never Forgets
I experienced dementia with both of my parents for approximately nine years. Dementia had become part of my everyday life, as I first experienced it with my father and then with my mother. Each journey was different, but equally difficult.

My father, Andreas P. Michaelidis, was a doctor and Associate Professor of Cardiology at Hippokration Hospital in Athens. In 2012, he suffered an ischemic stroke, and in 2017 he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. He passed away in 2021.

My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and later with dementia. She passed away in August 2026.

It is very difficult to express what it is like to watch your parents change and no longer be able to communicate with them as you once did. There were many discussions with doctors, adjustments, caregiving responsibilities and decisions. There were moments when I did not know what to expect or how to manage everything that was happening.

Caregiving affected me deeply because my role changed from being a daughter to becoming the caregiver of the very people who had raised me.

While my father was alive, my mother and I cared for him together. Later, when my mother became ill, I took on her care myself. This experience affected me emotionally, mentally, physically and financially.

I want to speak about dementia because I know how difficult it is to be a caregiver and how important information and support are. Caregivers need care and support too.

Although I have lost both of my parents, I want to continue speaking about dementia through my books and sharing my experience.

Love never forgets.

I am supporting Alzheimer's Society by doing a skydive.
My lovely mum has Alzheimer's, my mum and dad will be watching me jump, she might not remember it, but we are altogether making memories.
My mum loves her crosswords and reading, she could open up a library she has so many books.
As a family we are making lots of memories.