Doris Alice Denny (7 Jul 1928 - 8 Jul 2017)

In loving memory of my Nan, Doris Alice Denny who sadly passed away on Saturday 8 July 2017 - written by Becky Sanders, her granddaughter.

I'm not quite sure what to write here, apart from that I miss my Nan more than words could say. Losing her is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. She was an incredibly special person with an enormous heart who has had a huge impact on my life, both before her dementia and afterwards. Going to see her every Saturday, sometimes more often when Mum was away, was never a chore and I will cherish the memories of all those times we spent together.

Whilst our relationship changed as her dementia progressed, our lifelong close bond enabled us to find new ways to get the best out of each other's company - be that playing Connect Four with no concern for actually getting a row of four and just being pleased she'd managed to get the counter in the hole (with a little bit of help), letting her pick which chocolates she wanted for breakfast because she'd been in one of her deep sleeps and slept through breakfast, or in the last couple of years playing with her baby - dressing it in the clothes she indicated she wanted it to wear, making it move so she would wave back, or just placing it in her arms so she could kiss and cuddle it and feel comforted when we had to leave her.

Whilst dementia robbed her of lots of things, I can't help but feel there was an element of beauty in my Nan's condition. Her wicked sense of humour and determination shone through, and whilst she didn't really speak in the latter years, you could tell exactly what she was thinking with one of her looks. Particularly when you asked her how many yards in a mile and she looked at you like you were nuts because you didn't know the answer. There's 1,760 in case you were wondering. And despite her condition, she was happy. She was happy right up until the day before she died, which was her birthday, when she enjoyed opening her cards and presents with Mum and me, singing Happy Birthday to herself and blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. After that, she closed her eyes and didn't open them again.

I was lucky, I had my Nan for four years longer than we once thought we would and she lived to a grand old age, meaning I still had her well into my thirties. But not everyone with the condition lives so long or has such a close family around them making sure they are visited every day and their best interests are looked after.

So alongside my cousins, I'm walking for Nan in order That's the equivalent to one person every three minutes and needs to stop.

Along with Kerry, Bertie and Harry I had been planning on taking part in the Alzheimer’s Society’s Memory Walk in September this year, long before Nan went to sleep, but now it seems all the more important. Nan so enjoyed the many happy days which she and Granddad spent together at the Society’s Healthy Ageing Café right up until the time she was admitted to her care home. We would like people to donate to the fundraising effort in Nan’s memory, to help the 225,000 other people that develop dementia every year, especially those without any support.

So please dig deep and help us walk for a world without dementia. Nan would want you to after all.

Thank you in advance

Love Becky, Kerry, Bertie and Harry xxx

You can donate to our fund-raising page at http://www.justgiving.com/mw226368