Doing a fundraiser is something that had been on Philippa Friswell’s mind since her mum sadly passed away from frontotemporal dementia in May 2023. Philippa said: “I knew that I wanted it to be something active because exercise can be a preventative factor with dementia, but it wasn’t until I saw the campaign for the Alzheimer’s Research UK 25 miles in December fundraiser, that I decided to go for it.” But Philippa decided to take it one step further, pushing 25 miles to 37 miles (60K) as an “extra challenge”.
Frontotemporal dementia is an uncommon type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language. It affects the front and sides of the brain. While dementia mostly affects people over 65, frontotemporal dementia tends to start at a younger age being a common cause of early onset dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, it accounts for less than 1 in 30 dementia cases. Like other types of dementia, frontotemporal dementia leads to deterioration over time.
Too young for dementia?
Philippa spoke about her own experience. “It was fairly late in Mum’s illness that we got a diagnosis, and it was only after we were aware of the issue, that we could see just how long it had been going on for. So many symptoms had been put down to other things, and being at a relatively young age, dementia wasn’t something that was considered for a long time with Mum.”
She added: “It had such an impact on all our lives, and for me, the times that felt most difficult, were when Mum was aware that something wasn’t right. Things she loved to do became difficult to manage, and it was awful to see her in such distress.”
Like many others, Philippa took up running again during lockdown and maintained it as part of her weekly routine. Her aim is 2K a day – or more if it works that day. She said: “I’m hoping getting out with the dog will be a good incentive. I’ve not told him he’ll be helping me up the big hills yet, though …”
Philippa is aiming to run 60K (37 miles) throughout December but she won’t be alone with her challenge as husband Rob, sister Vicky and good friend Lizzie will be joining her in her running.
Running home for Christmas!
With running during the festive season, Philippa said: “I think touring all the Christmas lights around the area will be a nice idea. Mum was a big fan of Christmas, so she would have approved!”
Philippa hit her initial £200 target in a few hours, so she raised this to £500 only to reach this in November. She said: “I was completely blown away by the support. The messages of support I received were lovely, too, and it highlighted just how many people have had their lives impacted by this illness.”
You can support Philippa here.
