Why dementia campaigning work of Leeds widow is so vital - YEP says

The tragic story of Eugene Harris, and of his widow Diana, is one many of us will relate to on a gut level.
By Laura Collins
Published 27th Sep 2021, 12:10 BST
Updated 27th Sep 2021, 12:12 BST
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Dementia is one of the most cruel conditions that can befall a person.

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"These are the cards we have been dealt, let’s work with it" - a Leeds widow pus...

It takes away your most precious memories and makes it extremely difficult to function.

Diana Smith-Harris is campaigning for more awareness of early onset dementia. Picture: Simon HulmeDiana Smith-Harris is campaigning for more awareness of early onset dementia. Picture: Simon Hulme
Diana Smith-Harris is campaigning for more awareness of early onset dementia. Picture: Simon Hulme
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And while the impact for the sufferer is brutal, the effect it has on those close to them is no less horrible.

That is why the work Diana is doing to raise awareness of the condition known as early onset dementia is so valuable.

Every three minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with dementia and there are around 8,000 people in Leeds living with dementia, five per cent of whom have the early onset form.

Her work shows that dementia is not just for the elderly. Some people as young as their late forties develop it.

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More work is needed to both ensure that it becomes treatable and to ensure those who suffer from it are afforded dignity.

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