Spring appeal

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Spring Appeal 2022 - Dementia Australia

Too many people are living with dementia today. Will you help us support them?

When someone you love receives a diagnosis of dementia, it can be heartbreaking not knowing what lies ahead. “That was the day I realised we wouldn’t be spending our old age together.” Says Astrid.

Your gift today can provide support and bring hope to families like Paul’s.

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There are some days that can change your life forever.

For Paul and his family, that moment came when he was diagnosed with younger onset dementia.

Did you know there can be hope beyond that heartbreaking day? You can bring hope with your gift today. You can help people impacted by dementia get professional, specialised support during what can be an incredibly emotional time.

Paul’s wife Astrid remembers very clearly the day their lives shattered. For some months they’d known that something wasn’t right. Paul had been having constant vision problems, but tests failed to pinpoint anything wrong with his eyes.

“It turned out that there was nothing wrong with Paul’s eyes… it was his brain that was not interpreting what his eyes were seeing.”

A father of two, just 52 years old, Paul was told he could no longer work to support his family, or even drive a car. With the diagnosis, Paul could pose a risk to himself and others just by doing the daily activities that he loved – and so, he simply had to stop.

It can be very confronting to receive a diagnosis for a condition you know little about. And for many people facing a dementia diagnosis, coming to grips with so many sudden life changes can be difficult and distressing.

As soon as we got Paul’s diagnosis, I was fact-finding as much as I could …Dementia Australia were the ‘go-to’, and I discovered so much about dementia through their information.

- Astrid

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Having somewhere to turn to for guidance, and access to accurate, up-to-date information is vital so that people like Paul and their families can fully understand and manage their condition.

Paul and Astrid also had to cope with the financial stress that can be another distressing impact of younger onset dementia.

“Being in our early 50s, a really big part of it was the financial implications of Paul not working. The financial side was very much in his mind, and he felt terrible that he could no longer contribute to our family.”

A support worker from Dementia Australia became their lifeline, helping Paul secure funding through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It was just what the family needed at a time when they were struggling to pay their bills and mortgage without Paul’s income.

There are many more people like Paul in our communities who are living with dementia today. Many more people like Astrid and her children who need guidance and support so they can provide care to their loved ones, while also looking after themselves.

Please donate today so we can continue to support more families like Paul and Astrid’s.

Please get in touch with the Dementia Australia fundraising team to make a donation or find out how you can support us.