My plea to you: Do something today that will help 8.5m people in the uk.

Yesterday I posted a petition on behalf of Alzheimer’s Society to help #curethecaresystem.

Over the last 24 hours the number of signatures has risen to 44,632. Thank you to everyone who has signed.

I have no connection with Alzheimer’s Society.

I am not asking anyone to donate (although please do if you can).

What I am asking is that you take 15 seconds to sign the petition. If you want to read the detail it will take you 4 minutes.

I don’t know where the right place to start is, but this seems like a good place.

There are many charities out there, all with great causes and deserve support.

Here are somethings you should know:

·      850,000 people are estimated to be living with dementia in the UK.

·      525,315 is the total number of people in the UK with a dementia diagnosis.

·      1,000,000 people in the UK will have dementia by 2025 and this will increase to two million by 2050.

If my family is anything to go by and 850,000 have dementia then at least 10 x this number are affected (husbands, wife’s, children, grandchildren etc.) That makes c.8.5m+ people – getting on for 15% of the population.

My mum has dementia. She probably has Alzheimer’s and is most likely to be at stage 7 (google it if you want to know more).

Dad, who is 85, a proud Yorkshire man, who served his country for 22 years with honour and bravery in The Royal Navy looks after her at home, 24/7; 365. With my other siblings and our children we provide as much support as we can. Mum and Dad have paid for everything themselves with no support from the NHS or state.

I cannot bring myself to write about what my father has dealt with. It is too upsetting and personal but believe me when I say it is the hardest battle he has fought.

Dad’s view on the situation is that Mum looked after all of us now its our turn to look after her.

Dad was the youngest ever recruit into the Field Gun Crew (Google Field Gun Crew Royal Tournament if you don’t know what this is!!) in the 1950’s. He went from a 38-inch chest to 50-inch in 12 months. He was a strong intimidating man to have as a Dad when I was a child (although as soft as putty in reality). He now wakes up every day just hoping to make it through the day. Hoping he can carry and care for his wife of 62 years safely, every day. Every night he goes to bed exhausted.

Today I had to pick them up from Coventry, drive them 20 miles to Rugby Hospital (and back) so Mum could have a CT scan and hopefully get a diagnosis. Only with a medically certified diagnosis can Dad get any help. Mum has been in decline for 3 years now.

I wrote a post on LinkedIn about me leaving the CIIA and approx. 7,000 viewed this post. Many people liked and commented. Thank you.

However, this post was not about life and death, it was not even important, so here’s my plea.

Can the 7,000 people who viewed my post please sign this petition and then ask 10 of their contacts to do the same. That way this petition will get the required number of signatures.

I am not asking you to read everything.

I am not asking you to donate a penny.

I am asking you to be kind, take 15 seconds out of your day and sign a petition online.

I do not care what you think about me and I am sorry if this post offends anyone, but my parents are decent people and the care system is broken. This may not be the best place to start but it is a start and that is better than doing nothing.