Chatham woman marches on Number 10
Published: 12:56, 26 November 2008
A Chatham woman sets off this lunchtime on a march to Downing Street.
Vivienne Hill will hand in a petition to the Prime Minister urging the Government to do more for people with dementia.
She will be joined by fantasy fiction writer Terry Pratchett, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Vivienne’s 67-year old mother was recently featured on a television documentary.
Vivienne said: “My mum is very frail, she rarely says a word; she sleeps a lot and is completely bedridden.
"She cannot clothe or feed herself and is completely incontinent.
"The only real positive things I can say about her are that she still eats (although sometimes with difficulty) and her smile can still light up a room on the rare occasions she can manage one.
“The impact of Alzheimer’s is immeasurable.
"To see a loved one gradually being consumed by this devastating disease is a truly harrowing experience.
"Unless more funding is provided for research into Alzheimer’s, the suffering as a result of dementia will spiral out of control.”
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Lynn Cox