The daughter of a woman struck with Alzheimer’s and blindnes will raise thousands for charity in her mother’s name.
Michelle Bolt, her friends and family will cross the River Clyde on a zip slide to thank Alzheimer Scotland for the work its has done to improve the life of her mother, Gwen Ramsay.
Mrs Ramsay, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004 – aged just 51 – and struggled to get the support she needed until the family made contact with Alzheimer Scotland.
Mrs Bolt, who lives in Rosehearty, had been raising a toddler and a baby when her mother first fell ill.
She said: “I also used to help look after my mother-in-law – a couple of days a week – at the same time.
“I struggled to cope and through my own doctor we were put in touch with the appropriate people and organisations for mum – that’s when we learned about Alzheimer Scotland.
“They provided a care worker two days per week for two hours at a time. This was much needed respite for myself and gave me a huge break, even for day-to-day things like ironing, hair cuts and some quiet time. This was a life saver for me and it also gave mum some independence away from me.”
The family has already raised £6,000 for the charity ahead of the trip to Glasgow on April 17.
Amazingly, £1,200 of the funds was donated within the first 24-hours of the campaign going live.
Mrs Bolt said the money would allow the charity to “continue supporting families like us”.
“This is a great way to raise awareness of the great work Alzheimer Scotland does,” she added.
“Mum is now 62 and very ill in end stage dementia. She is blind, bed ridden for over two-years, and unaware of anything or any of us. It is heartbreaking.”
Last night, a spokeswoman for Alzheimer Scotland said the efforts to raise money were “wonderful” and congratulated Mrs Bolt on her dedication.
“We couldn’t exist without fundraisers and each one of them incredibly important to supporting people with dementia and their carers.”
Donations to the fundraiser can be made at Mrs Bolt’s JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/michelle-bolt.