My Granddad died when I was 10, and for me at that age all my other grandparents had sadly passed away yet the death of my granddad particularly effected me mainly I think because he had Alzheimers. My Granddad was a Methodist minister who used to travel all around the world and was just an amazing person, I used to love spending half term with him and I always remembered it was he who got me into watching simpsons on channel two. However when Alzheimers really started to effect him he moved in with us and I was about 7 and I truly didn't understand what was wrong with him. SLowly he deteriorated and life in my house became quite strained, Granddad didn't remember me and kept on wanted me to be sent back to where I came from, and I just refused to accept this changed person. My mum would work and then come home and look after granddad (he would be at a day centre during the day) but it was a very difficult time, we all love my granddad but he wasn't the same person. Eventually my parents with work commitments and us 3 children decided that granddad needed full time care and he went to a care home and a little while after that he sadly died.
To this day (I am now 19) I regret that I didn't understand properly and that instead of trying to help whenever I could and to try and understand I probably just made things worse and so I want to do something to raise money and awareness of Alzheimers. I'm sure i would not have known what it was had I not had the experience and I think it's important that awareness is made for younger children as well (not that the alzheimers society does not do that!!!!)
So What I'm doing is a skydive!!! In New Zealand- the last place we as a family went on holiday with my granddad. I'm doing it on the 30th of August in Queenstown and is in the memory of my Granddad- Charles Holgate.
If anyone has any ideas on how to raise more sponsors that would be greatly appreciated otherwise here's my just giving page- www.justgiving.com/Lydia-Amartey
Thank you for reading x
To this day (I am now 19) I regret that I didn't understand properly and that instead of trying to help whenever I could and to try and understand I probably just made things worse and so I want to do something to raise money and awareness of Alzheimers. I'm sure i would not have known what it was had I not had the experience and I think it's important that awareness is made for younger children as well (not that the alzheimers society does not do that!!!!)
So What I'm doing is a skydive!!! In New Zealand- the last place we as a family went on holiday with my granddad. I'm doing it on the 30th of August in Queenstown and is in the memory of my Granddad- Charles Holgate.
If anyone has any ideas on how to raise more sponsors that would be greatly appreciated otherwise here's my just giving page- www.justgiving.com/Lydia-Amartey
Thank you for reading x
