A LOVING mum of three from Basingstoke has walked the South West Coast Path to raise awareness after her "kind and caring" mother was diagnosed with end-stage Alzheimer's.
As previously reported, Paula Cooper, who lives in Hook, took on the incredible challenge alongside her husband Simon, which took them eight-long weeks to complete.
Paula’s mother, 81-year-old Margaret is currently bedridden and resides at St Christopher's Care Home, in Hatfield. She has spent much of the last few years without visitors due to Covid, including her 80th birthday.
Paula completed the walk to raise money for the charities Alzheimer's Research UK and Alzheimer's Society, and so far has raised £4,000 for each one.
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Paula describes her mother as a “kind and caring” person and someone who “loves to help everybody”.
She said: “I have visited mum since completing the walk and sat down with her and showed her some photos of the walk and she was smiling. I am just so glad I have been able to do this while she is still alive.”
Paula said she was delighted to complete the adventure, which she started Monday, May 2 and completed on Sunday, June 26.
She added: “It was really good and our countryside really is so stunning. It was a lot more intense and tougher than we could have expected.
“It was just really nice talking to people along the way and hearing their stories, there was just a good feeling across the entire walk.”
A highlight of the walk for Paula was when her 83-year-old dad, Roy Nolan, joined in to create a family memory she will treasure for ever.
Speaking before the walk the mother of three said: “We just don’t know who will get Alzheimer's and it could be us and it is very likely I will get it because it is heredity but this is just a lovely way to remember my mum while she is still here.”
St Christopher’s Care Home celebrated Paula's achievements with a garden party afterwards, where she was congratulated by MP Grant Shapps.
Although she has been amazed to see how generous residents have been in donating she hopes she can boost the final figure even more.
To donate visit: justgiving.com/fundraising/adventure-4-alzheimerssociety or justgiving.com/fundraising/Adventure-4-AlzheimersResearch.
You can also follow Paula's journey @paulas.mad.adventures on Instagram and Facebook or by reading her blog here: paulasmadadventure.wixsite.com/swcoastpathwalkblog
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