Ceri’s mum Margo, 85, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2023. She talks about the importance of making new memories and of keeping her mum’s sense of fun alive.
"My mum, Margo, has such an enormous sense of fun and there’s an amazing story involving a circus elephant that pretty much sums her up.
Mum was the first matron of the Highland Hospice when it opened in Inverness in 1987. She was a trained nurse and believed passionately that hospices should do more than just provide the most basic care.
"On one occasion, when there was a circus performing at the local theatre, she arranged for one of the elephants to be walked down the road to see the patients. There’s a wonderful photograph taken at the time of it sticking its trunk in the hospice’s front window. That was all mum, she had loads of fun and would do anything for the patients.
"Nothing fazed mum. She worked so hard while raising three children, but she had great support from my dad. In the early days at the hospice there was very little money in the budget, so she would do all kinds of fundraising stunts, including skydiving when she was in her 50s.
"Mum, who’s 85, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2023. Dad died 12 years ago and she still lives in her own home, but she now needs a lot of help. She recently had to give up driving which was very difficult for her as she’s always been so independent.
"She had to take early retirement to care for her father, Fergus, who also had Alzheimer's. And now, at 60, I’ve taken early retirement from my role teaching children with additional support needs, so it’s all come full circle. A big focus for me is making memories with mum and keeping her positive. My nephew recently got married in Crete and we were delighted we were able to take her there. She had a whale of a time and loves looking back over the photos. I worry that she might lose motivation now, but then I remind her there’s another family wedding next year, so she’s got to keep going for that one.
"I’ve also signed up to take part in the Alzheimer Scotland Memory Walk in Inverness in September and hope that mum will be able to take part along with my two brothers. We’re raising funds for Alzheimer Scotland and Highland Hospice, which is extra meaningful as that’s where dad died. It’ll be great for mum to see all the other people in a similar situation to her, and that she’s not alone. Her Alzheimer's is progressing fast so I want to do something positive like this with her while she’s still able to appreciate it.
"I’m starting to put a book together about her life – The Nine Decades of Margo. As I’ve gone back through her past looking at old pictures and just how beautiful she was, the jobs she had, the vision she had for nursing, it’s wonderful bringing it all together. I hope when the carers come in to help mum they’ll look at that book and see what an amazing person my mum really is.
Find out more about our Memory Walks here.