Emily, National Individual Giving Manger
How dementia has impacted Emily's life
Emily knows how life changing a dementia diagnosis can be. A few years after she began working in the Fundraising Team at Dementia Australia, her grandma in Vietnam was diagnosed with dementia.
Given the experience and insights Emily has gained through her role - where she often talks to people impacted by dementia - she was able to be supportive and understanding with her grandma. When Emily visited, her grandma knew who she was but kept repeating herself. Emily wanted her grandma to feel safe and accepted, so she told her that it’s ok to ask her questions as many times as she likes.
Emily’s role at Dementia Australia
Before joining Dementia Australia, Emily worked for an agency that helped charities to run fundraising appeals. Whilst she enjoyed it, she also felt like the successes weren’t fully her own and that her impact was limited.
“I wanted to move into charity to have a bigger impact and more control over the results. I went to my interview at Dementia Australia and instantly liked the whole vibe of the place.”
Now Emily can see the results of the large-scale fundraising appeals that she runs. She and her team make sure that donors are thanked. They also help when people opt for donations instead of flowers at funerals, and they support those who decide to leave bequests in their wills. She loves knowing the difference those donations make in providing support to people impacted by dementia.
“Hearing people say ‘Dementia Australia has been a lifesaver. I wouldn’t have been able to manage without the support from them’ is good to hear.”
Emily’s hopes for the future of dementia
There is always more that Emily would like to be able to do though. When she hears families’ stories describing the devastation of dementia, she knows that the more people give to Dementia Australia the more hope there is for accelerated research and potential treatments for dementia.
Emily would also like to see an increase in awareness of Dementia Australia and how much it can help. She particularly wants to encourage people to call the Dementia Helpline, because they may otherwise feel “lost about what to do”.
Even though you may feel like you’re drowning, that it’s helpless and there’s no cure – you can call on us and we can help you to learn to live well with dementia.”
