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Stockton man walks 70 miles and raises over £2,000 in memory of late wife
A Teesside man has completed a 70 mile walk in memory of his wife who passed away with Alzheimer’s.
Dr John Hirst’s wife Patricia was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2012 and died from the form of early onset dementia five years ago on July 22, 2017, aged 66. In memory of his wife, 70-year-old John decided to walk 70 miles from York to his hometown of Stockton with the help of friend Carol Macaulay, in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
The walk took place between Saturday, May 13 to Thursday, May 18, to coincide with Dementia Awareness Week. After setting a target of £500 on his Just Giving Page, John has managed to raise 455% more than expected – with £2,279 currently in the pot.
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John and Carol’s route began in York where Patricia grew up, calling via St Wilfrid’s Church where she and John got married in 1978 and Bar Convent where she went to school as a child. They then headed up to North Yorkshire to Alne, Kilburn, Osmotherley and Maltby before a final walk calling at Hemlington Library, LiveWell Dementia Hub in Thornaby – finishing at Sustrans Hub in Stockton.
John said: “Pat was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2012, 18 months after her retirement as a nurse in the NHS. Following her diagnosis her decline was rapid resulting in loss of speech, an inability to swallow and for the final months she was forced to use a wheelchair.
“Throughout her ordeal she was always able to recognise us all and was aware until very close to the end of her life. Since her diagnosis I have been helping to raise awareness of early onset dementia and also raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity dedicated to understanding the causes, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dementia.”
John gained lots of support from members on the public while on the walk – easily recognisable by his bright orange t shirt, orange curly wig and orange balloon attached to his backpack.
He added: “The support we received from people we met along the way has been tremendous. We had a great send off from Heslington parkrun, a young man in York city centre who clearly didn’t have much searched his pockets to donate what change he had because “my Nan had dementia”.
“An old guy originally from Middlesbrough who has living with a dementia diagnosis and local MP Rachael Maskell all added their support as day one took in places that had been part of Pat’s childhood.
“Day four was the toughest with a section along A170 followed by our biggest climb of the week. North Yorkshire County Council had closed the A170 for repairs so we didn’t have to negotiate the traffic, unfortunately they couldn’t do anything about the hills!
“In Thornaby we were welcomed first by Thornaby Foodbank and later the LiveWell Hub. After crossing the Tees on Victoria Bridge we made our way to The Hub where we were welcomed with tea and biscuits. We have had a memorable week on an enjoyable walk through some beautiful countryside, the best memories though must be of all the fantastic people we met along the way. To everyone who has helped in anyway – our heartfelt thanks.”
On his Just Giving Page, John wrote a daily blog on what each day of the walk was like – informing all those who donated of his and Carol’s progress.
Sara Hoxhaj, North East Regional Fundraising Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Dementia affects a significant proportion of the population – one in three people over 65 in the UK will die with some form of the condition. That is why we are determined to help scientists discover new treatments and find ways of tackling the diseases that cause dementia, but we can’t do this without the support of our wonderful fundraisers.”
You can donate to John’s page here.
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