A 5K for Nana Jean

Stacey’s story:

My great grandmother Nana Jean was the most caring woman and a huge part of my life. She was the life and soul of the party and she taught me so much.

We started noticing signs that something wasn’t quite right when she was in her 80s and she was eventually diagnosed with dementia. She always wanted to live at home until she was 90 and the family pulled together to help make that happen.

She passed away in 2017 aged 92, but she is still very much missed and remembered.

I’m 35 now and my wee boy Patrick is four. He is too young to have met Nana Jean but I tell him stories about her all the time so he knows how important she was to us. That’s what gave us the idea for him to fundraise for Alzheimer Scotland.

My mum Karen was very close to Nana Jean – her nana – and we all spent a lot of time together. Growing up, Nana Jean would take me and my sister Ashleigh down the town into Stirling every Saturday and give us £1 to buy treats in Woolworths. Then after dinner she’d give us homemade jelly and skooshy cream. They were such happy times.

I’ve worked in healthcare since I was 18 and now manage a day centre for older people. Patrick visits the centre a lot, so awareness of dementia and caring for others are part of our everyday life.

We do a lot of fundraising as a family and I want Patrick to learn the importance of giving back. He’s a very caring wee boy and loves getting involved in our events.

He had a stroke when he was born and needed a lot of care for the first few years of his life, but we’re delighted he’s made a full recovery and is bursting with energy.

He loved the idea of doing his own fundraiser to help people like Nana Jean, and we decided on a 5K. We set the target at £250 but he ended up getting £645. He was absolutely buzzing and we’re so grateful to all our family and friends who supported him.

I did the 5K with him and he finished it in 44 minutes, which is pretty good for a four-year-old. He really enjoyed doing it and loved getting his certificate afterwards.

Alzheimer Scotland do so much to support families affected by dementia and to raise awareness of the condition, so I hope the money we’ve raised can help them continue that vital work.