Colin and Mavis have been together for over 50 years, but in 2002 Colin began to be affected by dementia which affected both their lives. Read their story.
"Colin and I met at a dance hall. That was in 1958. We got engaged in 1959. Dad gave us a lovely wedding. That was in May 1960. Three days later I turned 18. Everybody said it wouldn’t last, but what do others know?"
—Mavis
50 years later, Colin and Mavis are still together.
"After he did his trade training in the army Colin was posted to Bicester and I got a job as a typist on the camp. He had despatch riders under him so every day he bought a Mars bar from the NAAFI van and sent one of the despatch riders to my office with it for me.
Our first son David was born in 1965, then in 1967 John was born. After we moved to Bridlington I started being really ill with MS and Colin had to leave work to look after me full-time."
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition of the central nervous system, affecting around 100,000 people in the UK.
Revitalise and the MS Society are working in partnership to provide funding to help those affected by MS to access a Revitalise respite holiday. Find out more
"Around 2002 Colin started getting things going wrong with him. I noticed him being forgetful and irrational. He was not himself at all.
I got him to take me to the Doctor’s but had arranged with the Doctor to see Colin instead of me. I had suspicions that he could be starting with Alzheimer’s. Eventually he was diagnosed with dementia."
Dementia describes different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62% of those diagnosed. Find out more
With one person developing dementia every three minutes in the UK, the need to support people living with the condition and their families is crucial.
Our specialist Alzheimer's Weeks are designed to enable our guests to spend precious quality time with one another.
See how our Alzheimer's Weeks help our guests to reconnect with their loved ones.