For the best mum

Karen’s story

My mum Margaret was such a loving person who was devoted to her family.

She was always there for me and my sister Nicola, and when I had my daughters Lauren and Amy she spent almost every day with them. She would call Lauren her best pal and Amy ‘sweetheart’.

She was the best mum.

We’ve always been a close family and lived just two doors down from each other.

Mum was very active. She loved bingo, reading, dancing and music. She kept herself physically fit and was always going out a walk, with my dad William or her close friend Pat. She also loved to take my girls up the town for shopping, or coffee and a cake.

She worked as a cashier so she was very switched on, having to count money every day.

We started noticing signs that things weren’t quite right and then in 2021 she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It seemed to progress very fast, but we did our best to make the most of the time we had with her.

When my sister moved to Australia, mum would visit her every year with her friend Margaret. She was very well travelled and enjoyed being outdoors, so we tried to take her out as much as possible. We took her along to weekly groups for people with dementia, which she loved.

Mum passed away in 2024, aged 82.

Alzheimer Scotland have been a great source of advice and support for us. I called their freephone helpline and it helped to have someone to speak to who knew what we were going through. They also helped us set up an Alexa device so that mum could play music or answer the phone without touching anything.
Before mum passed she joined us on our first memory walk to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland – walking around Arthur’s Seat.

It felt good to be able to give back. There are so many people now affected by dementia and it needs more money. Whatever we raise, even if it’s a small amount, I hope it helps support the work Alzheimer Scotland are doing so that other families like ours can get the help and support they need.

I’m looking forward to taking part in the memory walk again – this time at Lauriston Castle Gardens. It’s a shame mum isn’t here to join us, but we’ll be doing it in her memory. I hope she’s looking down and is proud of us.