Putting the fun into fundraising

Katie’s story:

When we first found out something was wrong with my dad Andrew, I was only 18 and didn’t fully understand what was going on.

Dad was a joiner and while he was at work one day in 2018 a wooden beam fell on him. I remember seeing him in hospital. Every part of him was hurt. We thought he would eventually get better but I didn’t realise how much the injury to dad’s head would affect him long term.

While dad was physically healing, it became clear that there were other issues. He would forget how to do things like getting changed, or finding his way to familiar places. It took almost five years for him to finally be diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia.

My grandpa had been diagnosed with dementia when I was younger, but the way it affected dad was so different. He would struggle to find the right words and would sometimes suddenly lose consciousness. It was quite scary for me and my younger brother Adam to see how quickly he was changing.

After dad’s diagnosis, he and my stepmum Fiona would regularly go to Alzheimer Scotland’s dementia resource centre in Kilmarnock, and it became a real lifeline for both of them. Sheena and the team there are amazing and they would organise events like a supper club that was aimed at people like dad who had been diagnosed at a younger age. It made such a difference for them to chat to people who were in a similar situation.

Dad passed away almost six months ago aged only 62, and it’s been really hard coming to terms with that.

Because my brother and I were so young when dad was diagnosed, most of our friends had no experience of dementia and couldn’t really understand what we were going through. I wanted to do something to raise awareness of what it’s like for families affected by dementia.

I did a skydive a few years ago to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland and I wanted to do more to support them. That’s when I got the idea to do a fun fundraising event that would appeal to younger people as well as older people.

Fiona and I got together and planned a Bongo’s Bingo-style event at the local bowling club, with a DJ, dancing, bingo and a raffle. It was an amazing night and we were blown away by the support we got from family, friends and workmates. We raised a total of £3,395, which is more than I could ever have hoped for. Dad loved music and having fun, and I know he would’ve enjoyed being there too.

I hope the money can help Alzheimer Scotland continue their vital work in helping families like ours who have been affected by dementia.