Fashion show raises funds in memory of Anna who died aged 42
Mum of two fought battle with dementia - more pictures Page 26
A FASHION show held in memory of a Burbage mum who died at the age of 42 has raised awareness of her heart-breaking illness.
Anna, a clinical trials research nurse and mum-of-two, passed away in 2013 after a long battle with Dementia.
Christine Reddall, Anna’s mum, has been sharing her story to help spread awareness of the overwhelming sadness that young people’s Dementia had - and still has - on her family.
The fashion show was held at Burbage Millennium Hall and raised £1,762 in memory of Anna, and to make people aware of the signs of Dementia in the young.
Christine said that the fashion show had been a big success, adding: “Anna would have been delighted to see so many people enjoying themselves, and she would have been moved to tears to see so many of her friends who turned up.
“She would have resisted being a model, but her sister Lisa would have persuaded her and she would have sashayed down the catwalk with her sister!
“I would like to say the following to everyone who helped and supported. There truly aren’t enough words in the English language to describe the thanks we want to say to everyone who helped, to all the businesses who donated so generously, and to all who came to support and enjoy.
“My family and I are truly blessed to live in such a sharing, caring community, amongst genuinely lovely people. All we ask is that you continue sharing Anna’s story so that we keep raising awareness.
“One day, maybe enough ‘high up people ‘ will sit up, take notice and expand the support services that are so few and far between, yet so badly needed.”
Anna’s devastating illness began in 2012 when she was just 36.
Christine said: “When Anna was 36, we all started to see a change in her.
“For us, her parents, she seemed very excitable when she came to collect her children, running around chasing them and squealing as though she too was a child.
“She was also struggling at work, but we all believed that this was stress related as her close working colleague had been seconded into another role, meaning Anna was doing double the work.
“Over the following weeks, Anna’s behaviour continued to spiral.”
Concerns turned to worry when Christine received a call from Anna’s line manager.
She explained that her daughter’s behaviour was completely out of character, stating that Anna had become a liability in the team.
“(Anna was) walking up to other members of her team who were having sensitive discussions on the phone and demanding their attention, taking her shoes off and skipping round the office, laughing loudly and inappropriately in front of the patients, talking in silly voices, constantly in and out of the toilet where she would bang on the walls - which we eventually discovered this was with her head.
“From being highly organised with all the paperwork, she was now completely disorganised.
“One of the worst things her manager told me was that Anna had lost her compassion. She didn’t seem to care about anyone.”
Eventually, after numerous and exhaustive trips to the GP and hospital - including stays in psychiatric inpatient care - and a false diagnosis, a second brain scan revealed that Anna had a severe, life limiting illness: Behavioural Frontal Temporal Lobe Dementia.
At first, consultants had dismissed the idea that Anna may be suffering with Dementia, saying that she was too young. Yet soon the family were told that, due to the high degree of brain shrinkage, Anna’s condition was terminal. She was given between two and 10 years to live.
By June 2013, Anna was on one-to-one care, 24/7. Her room in a care home was stripped bare of its belongings as she would bite or chew them. Her deterioration was slow but constant.
Christine added: “She sustained awful bruises from falling. She had periods where she went into a complete unresponsive state for hours, sometimes a whole day.
“We thought she was dying, but she woke up as though nothing happened. As time went by she became calmer and very cuddly. She would hold her hand out to anyone who would take it. She would sleep cuddled up to anyone who was visiting or one of her carers. She slept more than she was awake. Weight had dropped off her, she often choked on food. Food needed to be soft, liquids thickened. Furniture needed to be padded. Floor mats and cushions brought in.”
Christine moved in to be with her daughter, five days before she died.
She said: “The day we watched her face relax, her expression softened and she looked beautiful and peaceful. We knew that then she was free from this, the ugly disease. She was just 42.”
Now, Christine wants o spread awareness of the condition and the charity Young Dementia UK, to ensure that other families do not have to endure the same, painful trauma of losing a child to this rarely known disease.
Christine said: “This illness is ugly and vile. It causes overwhelming sadness and despair. It has the ability to wreck havoc and devastation in families.
“Diagnosing often takes months because doctors are unaware of this illness. They are unwilling to listen to the family and are all too ready to diagnose stress or depression to prescribe anti depressants.
“There are very few facilities for young people with dementia and care homes and carers are not equipped to deal with the behaviours that happen over the course of the illness. It is not like Alzheimer’s.
“Dementia removes the sufferers awareness, Anna had no idea what she was going through. But it’s out there and it affects people.
“This is why our painful stories must be told. We must be listened to. Awareness must be raised. We owe this to ourselves and to our loved ones, so that anyone who is affected by this illness, can get the right kind of help and support.
“Above all, I owe this to Anna and to everyone who knew and loved her.”
More pictures on Page 26 -