Will Be Running On Behalf of Mind
Manjinder Raiyat, a sufferer of asthma, has decided to run this year’s London Marathon in memory of her late grandmother. Speaking to The Asian Today she explained why she had taken such a brave decision.
“I have never run a marathon and this year I am taking part in the London Marathon in honour of my beautiful nan – A strong, courageous, selfless and passionate woman. In the process I am hoping to raise much needed awareness and funds for two worthy charities, Mind ‘For a better mental health’ and The Alzheimer’s Society ‘Leading the fight against dementia’
“My nan was blessed with 6 children, 15 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren before she gave up her fight with Alzheimer’s and left us. To all the grandchildren she was superwoman and a second mum, affectionately we all called her mumma – No one called her nan. She brought joy to all those around her, always there to lend a hand, the life and soul of every occasion – It was her amazing presence and grace which everyone fell in love with!”
“Mumma startd to ‘forget’ she couldn’t remember where she put her glasses, and then she forgot where she put her purse. We all thought it was nothing (old age in fact like most people would) and dismissed it. Mumma started to forget more and more. We all tried to help her in our own way but I think we missed all the signs or didn’t want to accept that she could be suffering from dementia. It’s not something you want to hear and you never think that it could happen to a loved one.”
“Eventually a diagnosis confirmed that she was suffering from Alzheimer’s – What is this?? Everyone was confused and denied this could be happening. It was with great reluctance we acknowledged that this beautiful, strong woman had a condition which will deteriorate over time and this time it was something we could not control – We felt helpless. This was hard, we were unprepared and unaware.”
“I think the work of Mind and the Alzheimer’s society is unprecedented – Mind is there for you every step of the way and will provide invaluable support and guidance to anyone suffering from stress, depression or a type of mental illness. The Alzheimer’s Society is leading the way in how we care for those suffering with dementia and carry out vital research to find treatments and cures. It is comforting to know that both charities aim to provide support, care, help, guidance and information when needed most. Sometimes it’s just the simplest things like, somewhere to turn to, a shoulder to cry on, a hug or to know that someone is there who understands.”
“Raising awareness is also paramount, especially as most do not believe a loved can be suffering from a type of mental illness or could even be affected by dementia and simply put it down to stress or old age. Had we been more aware about Alzheimer’s or even understood the signs, perhaps we could have identified the symptoms and sought treatment earlier. Both charities put an enormous amount of effort into raising awareness and I hope that I can also do this within our communities during fund raising so that they are better informed.”
“When mumma was diagnosed I would constantly look through newspapers to see if there were new treatments available or research into new drugs which could help people. Research gives us hope and it’s this hope which allows us to believe that there is a better future for our loved ones, as one day there may just be that breakthrough treatment which will make the life of your loved one better.”
“For me, running the marathon is a massive challenge as I only got a place in the middle of February. It’s a gruelling 26.2 miles, which is no walk in the park! Nevertheless I accept the challenge and hope that on the day I can do everyone and the charities proud and honour my nans beautiful memory.”
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