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High Tea Picnic for Ann 🤍💜💙

Tea for Dementia

I'm hosting a Tea for Dementia to make a difference

Help me raise funds to support people with dementia.

My mum was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s around 2015, but we felt mum had symptoms at least five years prior to diagnosis.

Please help us reach our goal by making a donation. It only takes a minute and any amount you can give will go a long way to fund medical and social research and support the vital services, support groups and education programs that Dementia Australia provides to people living with dementia, their families and carers.

Of course you are invited to my high tea!  If you’d like to join in, please send me a message!

Thank you so much in advance for your support.

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$2,760

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$2,630

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My Updates

Love and loss. An unfinished dementia story

Sunday 24th Oct
I was going to be named after my grandmother Hortencia, my mum wouldn’t have it and so after discussion my parents agreed to name me after a family friend, Dawn.

I don’t remember a lot about Dawn.  She died when I was young.  I remember she was a vibrant and kind woman, she died in her late 20’s.  I think it was cancer.  No one really explained to me.

I guess this was my first experience with mortality and when I was a little girl I remember developing a fixation of losing my mum.  Sometimes I would become overwhelmed, cry and ask my mum to tell me she would never leave me.  

Mum would smile and assure me she was not going anywhere and no, she would never leave me.  She was always so sure, calm and controlled.  I believed her and sure enough she never did leave me. 

I forgot all about the clingy worries of my early childhood and became more and more into myself through teenage years, early adulthood and then becoming a mother myself it all shaped and changed the way I thought about mortality.  

I have become the mother who smiles at the worry of small children, that will never leave, who is not going anywhere and is in control of her calm.

I didn’t notice the early signs of dementia. It never really crossed my mind at all.  We lived overseas for 11 years and would visit once every two years or so.   It was during this time that dementia kind of crept in to our lives as a distancing of our relationship.  I thought my mum was becoming disinterested in our lives.  She called less and less and was difficult to speak with on the phone.  She would repeat herself and tell small white lies.  

One of the early signs of dementia is lying.   Mum wasn’t ready to admit she had forgotten to call us so she would make grand stories of being busy.  It’s super common and very sad.  I was in my own headspace thinking my mum was becoming selfish and not wanting to be part of our lives.  

After a time, perhaps too long, my sister and I decided to go down and confront mum with our worries.  We wanted her to go to the GP and explore the possibility that she may have dementia.  

I worked with mum and liaised with mums GP and flew down to Canberra several times to try and get some answers.  We then found out that mum had already received a diagnosis of dementia for 18 months.

She had forgotten.  

Dementia is a disease symptom, and not a normal part of ageing.

There are over 100 diseases that may cause dementia. My mum has two kinds, Alzheimer’s and Vascular dementia.  

Vascular dementia is caused by a number of strokes, often with symptoms that develop progressively over a period of time. The strokes cause damage to the cortex of the brain, the area associated with learning, memory and language.  

My mum is very advanced in her dementias. No treatment can reverse damage that has already been done.  And her deterioration is rapidly jerky it’s not slow and sticky but rather unpredictable and aggressive.

Mum now lives near us in Brisbane.  We document our journey through hundreds of photos, videos and live Facebook videos.  We have a support/sharing group called Three Hearts 🤍💜💙 and advocate for mum and people with dementia everywhere.   

I’ll be hosting a high tea to raise much needed funds for dementia - stay tuned.  Thank you for taking the time to read. 
🤍💜💙

Thank you for your gift

$52.20

Kate Hargrave

Well done on raising awareness and funds for support and further research for this important area.

$20.88

Rebecca Davey

Lots of love and light sent your way 🤍💜💙

$52.20

Laura Hudsin

$73.08

Amanda Watson

I remember your Mum so fondly Dawn. The love and support you and your sister are sharing shines the most beautiful and bright light on loving someone through dementia. 🤍💜💙

$20

Tanya Setyabudhi

Ann you are clearly an amazing person who has raised two beautiful, loving and caring daughters. Keep being amazing.

$500

Kaz

$52.20

Malissa Nasarenko

$20.88

Leaha

❤️

$50

Britt

$50

Rose Saunders

With love to you both, & your Mum 💛

$104.40

Anonymous

$104.40

Elsie Burke

$36.54

Rhys Burke

$52.20

Louise Watson

$100

Patricia Cid

$20.88

Katrina Gibbons

Who doesn’t love a high tea and what’s more, it’s for a great cause. 🤍💜💙

$52.20

Kim Hardwick

Have a beautiful day. I'll have a cuppa with you, over here on the western edge.

$35

Jane Mooney

$52.20

Jenny Larkin

💗 thank you 💗

$50

Jacqui Woodfield

Congratulations Dawn for all you do. We are pleased to support your Morning Tea fundraiser. We will be thinking of you, your Mum & Sister at your great event. Love & hugs to you xx

$52.20

Rob Hargrave

$36.54

Trans Of Canberra

You have raised beautiful girls, Ann. Be proud of their love and devotion to you ❤️ ❤️❤️

$104.40

Seva Hatzifotis

$1.02k

Anonymous

Enjoy your precious day 💕💕💕💕

$52.20

Anonymous

Kick off!