Will your loved one remember this Christmas?
Your support can help play a part in beating Alzheimer's disease.
Your support helps make research like Professor Jenny Gamble’s possible.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, making up around 60-70% of the 55 million people living with dementia worldwide. These numbers are unacceptable and so far, there are no cures and nothing that can stop its progression.
“Current treatments either target the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, having no effect on progression, or they target amyloid deposits in the brain, but these drugs can have serious side effects and only offer a limited effect on disease progression,” explains Professor Gamble.
“When healthy vessels perform as they should, they clear debris (including amyloid) from the brain. Our approach is to mend the damaged vessels so that they can effectively clear this debris. Our drug is the first which has such a profound effect”.
As with all new drugs, the process can take 2-3 years to get through high-cost pre-clinical testing to ensure optimal drug delivery before leading to Phase 1 clinical trials. We now need your help to get us into pre-clinical testing as soon as possible to move towards this new approach to treatment.
Will you make a gift today to help advance the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s?
Lead image shows what dementia looks like under the microscope. The fluffy white spots are plaques that devastate the brain.
Janice
“Mum’s dementia journey started slowly — a forgotten shopping bag here, a misplaced wallet there, taking a wrong turn on a familiar street. Those small moments were easy to dismiss as simple signs of getting older. But as time went on, it became clear it was more than forgetfulness,” says Imelda.
In 2018, after a hospital stay for an unrelated issue, Imelda and her brother were advised to take Janice for a cognitive assessment. The results showed signs of cognitive impairment, but a diagnosis of dementia was still inconclusive. She moved into an apartment close to Imelda, as maintaining her independence was important. Imelda became her primary carer, navigating all the ups and downs of her slow decline.
By early 2022, Janice had moved into residential aged care. Dementia had taken over. Her doctor explained that, based on her stage, she might have two to three years left. He spoke about how the disease would progress — how she would gradually forget how to speak, to eat, and in the final stage, to breathe.
“Mum passed away just before midnight on New Year’s Eve 2024, two weeks after her 82nd birthday and one week after Christmas. As my brother and I left the care home, fireworks lit up the sky. It felt like the world was celebrating not just the new year, but her life — a life filled with love, strength, laughter and kindness.”
“I feel incredibly fortunate that Mum always remembered my name. Her eyes always lit up. And she always told me she loved me. I know that not every family is so lucky. And now as I move through the first milestones without her - her birthday, Christmas, the new year - I’m reminded that for someone else with dementia, these milestone moments will be their last.”
Helen
During his mum’s illness, his dad suffered a stroke. Peter heartbreakingly asked himself the question, “Would a sudden death be easier to deal with or the constant drain of watching both parents fade day by day?” It is a torture no one should go through.
He watched as his dad battled against his mum’s diagnosis, determined that he would be able to do something to save his wife.
“Dad thought he could cure her. He tried everything. He couldn’t accept this was going to happen to his beautiful wife, the young girl he married so many years ago. But we knew that no matter how good his intentions, or how hard he tried, Dad was never going to be able to slow down the effects of this terrible disease.”
"I fear that it might be tomorrow, next month, or next year, when I get told by a doctor, I too have dementia. I want to be around to see my daughters grow up. Not only do I fear for myself. I fear for everyone. I have seen what this disease does to people. To families. We shouldn’t have to live in fear. Dementia doesn’t discriminate so we need to find a cure.”
