Norrms Asks For Your Help, Sept. 17th – Dementia Awareness Day
This is a note I received from my friend Norrms in the UK. He has asked me to share it with you and hopes you to might want to share it with those you know.
Hello everybody, my name is Norman Mc Namara and I am the co- creator of Dementia Awareness Day to be held country wide on Sept 17th this year and hopefully every year. I am Bolton born and bred but emigrated to Torquay twelve years ago. Three years ago I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s “Early onset” and since then I have campaigned long and hard to give people and their carer`s/loved ones with this awful disease a VOICE and to reduce the Stigma that is unfortunately connected with Dementia in general.
I have appeared on TV, radio and magazines to try and show the world that we have a voice and not just people to be shunned or forgotten about. We used to be the “Forgotten Ones” but not anymore. Dementia is the biggest crisis in our heath service at this time and is only going to get worse unless we all address the problem and talk about it openly just like Cancer and HIV is now spoke about openly.
I firmly believe that a new age is now dawning for people with Dementia and their loved ones, this is our time, and never before has the illness been more in the public eye than now, so it is up to all of us to pick it up and run with it as fast as we can until we rid the stigma that comes with it and hopefully a cure is found.
I firmly believe that a new age is now dawning for people with Dementia and their loved ones, this is our time, and never before has the illness been more in the public eye than now, so it is up to all of us to pick it up and run with it as fast as we can until we rid the stigma that comes with it and hopefully a cure is found.
So please join me and others all around the country on this day and help raise awareness of this disease like never before, and if you make a few funds for your own charity along the way then all well and good. You can hold a tea party, stalls, bring and buy, jumble sales ECT anything you want!! All I ask is that you put a table to one side and have lots of information about Dementia (all Types) you can get these leaflets and more from Dementia UK or The Alzheimer’s Society, or any other dementia organisation you know.
I have no idea what the future holds for me as many in my position also don’t, but I will make this promise to you all, I will promise to fight this disease all the way and hopefully I will be here next year to celebrate Dementia Awareness day, and the next year, and the next, well, you can guess the rest LOL.
Very best wishes and most of all, enjoy the day, Norrms, Elaine and family xxxxxxxxxxx
P.S Please join us on Face book, go to
http://www.causes.com/causes/564203?recruiter_id=9308652
and click on “LIKE” thank you, Norrms ( Aged only 53 yrs old now) xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.causes.com/causes/564203?recruiter_id=9308652
and click on “LIKE” thank you, Norrms ( Aged only 53 yrs old now) xxxxxxxxxxxx
Altzheimer’s as a disease which can be genetically inherited from a parent. It is a fear I have as my grandmother and mom have both have had the disease. My main goal is to be as helpful to my mom as I can to make things easier and her life better. I hope in the process to learn all I can about the disease which may also help me in the future.
HI Annie
You are right Alzheimer’s is a disease like many that can be inherited, although there is no concluive answer on will one get it or not. Personally I chose to look at it much like cancer. We all probably have the gene. The quetions then is will it take in our body or not? So with that philiosophy I personally have decided not to overly think about it and or worry about it. Not that it doesn’t cross my mind, especially when I forget something. I just try really hard to focus on keeping active and not eating or drinking anything too whacky, or smoking…. just live a fun joyful life while respecting my body. Lord only knows if it will help as people who live super Healthy lives have gotten the disease. I just at my age now try very hard to not worry about things I can’t control.
I think it is great you are trying to learn as much as you can about he disease and to be there for your Mom. Both can do nothing but help things in the future! Have a blessed week.
Lori