A retired headteacher, who has experienced the devastating impact of dementia first-hand, is set to join thousands of fundraisers at a Memory Walk in the Peak District she has organised with her family.

Catherine Larkin, 64, and her three other siblings Claire Bates, 59, Chris O’Brien, 62, and Richard O’Brien, 51, will be doing a Memory walk up Mam Tor to mark the first anniversary of their father’s death. This will take place on Saturday 15 October, the weekend after the official Manchester Memory Walk at Heaton Park on 8 October.

They are putting their best foot forward at this memorable event after Catherine and family lost their father Tom O’Brien in October 2021. He was 93, lived in Didsbury, and had been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia.

Catherine explains: “We felt this would be good way to mark the first anniversary of dad’s death as a family. Unfortunately, our other two siblings can’t attend as they live abroad but will be supporting us by donating money. Doing a walk for dad seems really fitting as he loved walking and being outdoors and was still active until his late 80s!”  

Catherine explains that Tom, who was a bus driver and drove all over Manchester, had always been a fit and healthy man and he loved gardening. It wasn’t until they lost their mother to cancer (Tom’s wife) in 2010 that he started to struggle. Initially, Catherine and her six siblings thought it was depression in response to losing his wife, but then when after a few years of extreme hallucinations, both aural and visual, they knew they had to seek further help.

After seeing Tom’s GP who didn’t feel able enough to diagnose what Tom had he was sent to see a psychiatrist who then sent Tom for a brain scan. It was then he was diagnosed with vascular dementia. Everyone was shocked to hear this diagnosis but pulled together as a family and created a rota to help their dad with his meals, keeping social by having trips out and making sure he was talking his medication.

Tom seemed to be doing well until one day Catherine got a call from Stepping Hill Hospital where they told her Tom had been picked up by a lorry driver as he had been wandering along the road looking lost.

Catherine said: “When I received this call. I really feared the worse and thought dad was dead but the hospital said he had been dropped off at A&E by a lorry driver. This man probably saved dad’s life being doing this. When I saw dad he was like a different person, he seemed to have deteriorated dramatically.”

It was at this point when he was in hospital that Catherine and the family were advised he needed to be in full time care, so the family sought this out and decided on Abney Court Care Home in Cheadle. Tom did not initially take to being in a care home but after a couple of months he settled in.

Catherine explains: “The care home were brilliant and really helped take the weight from us after what had became such a stressful time. All we wanted was dad to feel comfortable and happy and they helped make that happen for him. I couldn’t have wished him be in a better place in his final years.”

Catherine didn’t get to see Tom much in person in the last two years of his life due to the restrictions of the pandemic but knew he was in good hands. The family would visit when they could restrictions allowing. Tom died in the care home in October 2021 after he fell and broke his hip.

Catherine feels so lucky that Tom lived a long life and was healthy and strong for most of it but she believes that having a dementia diagnosis did turn the family’s world upside down.

“When dad had that initial dementia diagnosis, there wasn’t the same support on hand like there was when mum had her cancer diagnosis. It feel like we were just left to it to figure it out. That was hard as we felt very lost and really didn’t know what to do.

“I’d encourage anyone in a similar situation to talk to other people. I found Alzheimer’s Society’s talking point really helpful and learnt so much from other people who could advise after their own experience.

“I also feel we maybe left it too long before dad got his diagnosis, so I would encourage others to get the diagnosis as soon as they can if they are worried so they can plan for the future.

“Hopefully doing our own family memory walk in October will help raise awareness of the condition and Alzheimer’s Society. I’m sure dad would approve of our choice in marking the anniversary of his death in this way.”

Alzheimer’s Society is encouraging people in Greater Manchester to join Catherine and family this October, to help people affected by dementia through some of the hardest and most frightening times. Memory Walk will bring together people who have been personally affected by dementia, those who want to walk to remember a loved one, and people looking to raise money for charity.

Sue Clarke, Head of Region for Greater Manchester, said: “It has never been more important to support Alzheimer’s Society’s crucial work. Too many people in Greater Manchester are facing dementia alone without adequate support. We urgently need to find a cure, improve care and offer help and understanding for people affected.

“We are in awe of our amazing fundraisers like Catherine who go above and beyond to raise vital funds and awareness for the 30,000 people living with dementia in Greater Manchester. Every step our fundraisers take will to help us provide a lifeline of support for as many people affected by dementia as possible.

“We can’t wait to see walkers of all ages and abilities return to Heaton Park this autumn and I would call on family, friends and colleagues from across Greater Manchester to put their best foot forward to support this vital cause.”

Hundreds of walkers have already registered to take part in Manchester Memory Walk, which will be on Saturday 8 October at Heaton Park. Supporters can also opt to walk on their own, or with loved ones, on the paths, pavements, parks or pebbles in a location of their choosing throughout September.

Memory Walk events have been a regular fixture in the Autumn calendar for over 10 years, seeing half a million walkers raise over £41 million for Alzheimer’s Society.