A paramedic is training for a 41km (nearly 26 miles) sponsored walk for Alzheimer’s Society in memory of her grandmother.
Hannah Goddard is a Clinical Practitioner Paramedic in the Urgent Care Response Team in west Essex at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
She will be walking with a group of friends and loved ones including her friend Amy, whose father was also recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
The group aim to raise at least £1,000 for the charity when they do the walk in July in the Lake District.
Hannah said her grandmother Ida Hickey’s health declined over five years when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and lost her sight due to giant cell arteritis.
Hannah, who is from Basildon, said: “She was the kind of grandma whose love felt constant and safe, like a warm blanket you could wrap around yourself at any time.
“She was the biggest presence at every Easter, birthday, or Halloween. Christmas was always her favourite, and she made each and every one special.
“The Alzheimer’s came on quite quickly. Over time, the change became heavier. The warmth was still there, but it flickered, buried under confusion and fear.
“Beneath the confusion, the grandma who cared so deeply was still there, even when she could no longer show it the same way.
“We learned a new kind of pain: watching someone fade in pieces, knowing there was no sudden goodbye, only a long, aching letting go.”
Hannah’s training for the sponsored walk includes gym sessions four times a week and 10km walks twice a week with her two Labradors Lola and Ollie in all weathers and terrains.
Hannah said: “Every step we take helps raises funds for vital services that support families like my friend Amy’s and for mine like they did during that time.
“For example, advice lines, community groups, dementia advisors who offer essential help every day.
“The funds we raise go towards immediate care and support and longer term research working towards better treatment and understanding for the future.
“This walk represents a group of people coming together who understand what each other is going through, and sharing the pain to find the strength.
Anyone who would like to sponsor Hannah can go to her fundraising page.