"Your support helps me to sparkle every day of the year" - Julie's story
This Christmas, we're inviting you to join our Sparkle For Dementia NI campaign and fundraise to give local people living with dementia the gift of life-changing peer support.
Your support will change lives. It means that we can help more people like our member Julie, who attends our Empowerment Groups and finds they offer a reassuring space to talk to other people living with dementia, make friends and gain practical advice.
We asked Julie how the support offered by Dementia NI following her diagnosis helps her sparkle...
Finding sparkle and joy in everyday life - Julie's story
Hi, I'm Julie, a member of Dementia NI. Thank you for supporting our Christmas campaign!
I was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease at 58 and realized how important it is for me to continue to do all the things I enjoy which enable me to live well with dementia.
I try to find sparkle and joy in the everyday things that make me happy, like volunteering at my local charity shop to give back to my community.
Of course, my husband Dave, my family and our dog Buster are a big part of my life, and we take time to celebrate birthdays, go for picnics and afternoon tea which we all enjoy!
I’m very happy in my job, working in a local leisure centre. The staff and managers have been a great support and I’m very open about my diagnosis. How else are people going to understand dementia if we don’t talk about it? It's important to let people know that I'm continuing to live a good life with support. I know that while I might have dementia, dementia doesn't have me.
I’m a very bubbly person and I love being with other people. I especially look forward to attending the Dementia NI Empowerment Group. When I’m there, I know that the other members understand my feelings, what it’s like to be diagnosed with dementia and what it means to be empowered to live well.
The Empowerment Group is a very important part of my life. It has offered me support, advice and a group of friends who are all in the same boat.
Your support helps me to sparkle every day of the year. Of course, some days are challenging and don’t go as planned, but with family, friends, and everyone around me I can continue to live my life with hope and purpose.
Thanks & Happy Christmas!
Julie Kerr
How to get involved
Whether it's dressing up sparkly with work colleagues for a donation, or holding a sponsored sparkle walk with friends, you can have a sparkle day and donate whenever suits you! Simply download our Christmas Fundraising Pack jammed with festive tips. Then let us know what you have planned by emailing jacqui@dementiani.org so we can provide you with all the support you need.
For more information, step inside our Sparkle For Dementia NI campaign page.
If you want to help but fundraising isn't your thing, you could make a donation now now and be a sparkling star for local people with dementia needing support.
How your donations will make a difference
Our campaign isn’t just about sparkling, it's about empowering people with dementia to live well with the help of our peer support service, and we can’t do it without your contribution. As a local charity, all money raised will stay here to improve the lives of people living with dementia across Northern Ireland.