Why this is so important to me .
The first time I really got involved with raising money for charity I was 10 or 11 maybe . We were doing a sponsored swim to raise money for Alder hey hospital , we were raising the money in the name of my baby cousin . This poor baby had been through so much and the Dr & Nurses at the hospital had been amazing so as a family we wanted to give back.
You see for me charity work , raising money and raising awareness is always personal . Again as a family all our girls got together to take part in the Race for Life . I ran with my baby girl in my father in laws name , that was an amazing day . It had to be the hottest day of the year and here’s us in tutus and bunny ears . That walk is inspirational and if you ever get the privilege to go down and support the ladies that take part then do it . You have survivors , people who are fighting the disease , people who have lost someone . The atmosphere at these things is something you will never get anywhere else . It really is inspiring , don’t get me wrong it is a sombre day for so many and I hope you never have to experience the loss or the fight of your life . It’s something I will remember for the rest of my life .
Unfortunately for me I ended up in hospital the next day , the nightmare for me was truly beginning.
Since then my life has been turned upside down . I now spend my life confined to my bed . I can’t cook for myself , my daughter helps me wash . My hubby and daughter do all of the housework between them , the washing , ironing .
If I didn’t have my phone I would have gone mad a long time ago . For me my phone is my lifeline . I keep in touch when I can via social media . I have FaceTime so I can still see people in a way . When we lost my Uncle Michael I don’t know what I would have done without it .
Uncle Michael is my dads brother . Michael moved to Australia a long time ago with his wife and 2 children . They emigrated for a better life and Michael really loved his new life . He built his house , made some amazing friends and achieved so much . He was a father and grand father when he started showing signs of Alzheimer’s . They flew home in 2007 the illness was beginning to take hold of him but in so many ways he was still the same uncle Michael . We had so much time together as a family when he was here , he got to see my niece being christened . Met my baby girl for the first time . I never thought it would be the last time I would see him .
Over the years I stayed in touch with his daughter , my cousin and she always told me how he was . She told me so many things that if it was happening to me , then I wouldn’t have held it together the way she did . My Aunty lost her best friend , her soul mate and yet she stayed strong . So so strong.
As a family we never got to say goodbye , his sisters managed to get over to be there but as a whole , Brothers , sisters , nieces , nephews , great nieces , nephews , well we never got to say goodbye .
So when I read about the Alzheimer’s Walk at Aintree racecourse I had to , my head went into overdrive . This was a family that due to work commitments , starting lives in new locations , well like others , we hadn’t had all of his brothers and sisters together for a long time . It was going to be tough but I had to try . It got bigger and bigger , I arranged a family fun day at my dads local . We had disco , karaoke , buffet , face painter and of course as a family we were doing this walk together .
Michael in his youth had kept birds , so my Aunty D arranged for us to release Doves at the start of the race . We worked closely with the fundraising team , we had interest from newpapapers, TV . To start the walk they had arranged for Craig Phillips from big brother to start the race alongside with the Lord Mayor , Gary Millar . My family name is Millar so well when I say the snowballed , you could have build 200 snowmen from this .
We were asked to meet the Pr team at the start of the race . We arrived as a family all 28 in the end I think . Craig Phillips is amazing , so down to earth , his Mother also suffers so this day meant a great deal to his family too.
So start line , we are greated with a wall of cameras . As our family are scousers born and bread we had the local press . We had the local news team . We ended up starting the race alongside our Lord Mayor , Gary Millar and Craig from Big brother . Our little ones helped release the doves it really was a fitting tribute to my Uncle Michael and it shows just how amazing my family really is .
We headed to the pub and we had a great afternoon , we raised so much money on the day and along with our sponsorship money , let’s just say we raised an amazing total . At the start of the race I took the opportunity to call my Aunty in Australia and she was amazed .
http://www.itv.com/news/granada/story/2013-09-08/memory-walk-at-aintree/
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/aintree-racecourse-memory-walk-remembers-5853533
http://m.baytvliverpool.com/vod/?vid=ABV522db7907a579
Call me selfish but I have to feel passionate about something to put in an effort because I know how much it is physically and mentally going to affect me when I crash . Doing that took so much out of me .
So if I am raising money and awareness it really truly affects me in every way . Now all I can do to raise money for a charity that has helped me personally , is dress as a princess . I wish I could run a marathon or climb a mountain , but I can’t even climb my own stairs . ME awareness week should be promoted , my fellow sufferers and I deserve help to find a cure , to raise awareness , to help people understand . We should not have to exist confinded to our beds .
That’s who I am involved and proud to be a Princess for ME Awareness , please support me .
This illness deserves the same exposure as every other illness . So please share this blog , let’s give ME the exposure it deserves .
Thankyou x
If you are suffering with ME and need help and advice the ME association are amazing , they have done so much for me x
http://www.meassociation.org.uk/
You can find me on Twitter @Whittsmills or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/ME-ME-ME-My-life-with-ME/1593579467531675
Above all if you can help by sharing my blog to raise awareness or help by donating to
2018 Just Giving pages coming soon x
From the bottom of my heart I thank you x
