Stars of the BBC One series came together in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK…
Last weekend The Traitors star, Diane Carson, took on West London’s gruelling Tough Mudder with nine of her castmates to raise funds for dementia research in memory of her dad. The retired teacher wants to do everything she can to prevent other families from going through similar experiences, after her much-loved dad, Stanley, died with vascular dementia in 2016.
Dementia is caused by physical diseases in the brain, the most common being Alzheimer’s Disease. Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia, after Alzheimer’s, and affects around 150,000 people in the UK.
Diane, 63, decided to take on Tough Mudder for Alzheimer’s Research UK, in the hope of raising much-needed funds to support the charity in its mission to cure dementia. Diane urged her showbiz friends to sign up for the challenge, which took place on Saturday, May 18th, during Dementia Action Week (13 – 19 May). Diane was joined by her son, Ross, who also appeared on the show, runner-up Mollie, as well as Jasmine, Miles, Zack, Kyra, Anthony, Johnny and Aubrey. Another cast member, Brian, fundraised from the Manchester challenge.
Speaking about the impact dementia had on her family, Diane said: “Dad was lots of fun and loved a joke, so we probably didn’t recognise the developing signs of dementia until further down the line. I started to notice his forgetfulness and realised he wasn’t just having a laugh! I pushed for him to go to the doctor, which he resisted – until I burst into tears one day and as he hated seeing his loved ones upset, he finally made an appointment. Receiving news of his diagnosis was hard to take!”
The mum of three shares what it means to support the search for a cure with the help of her castmates: “Taking on Tough Mudder is more than just a physical challenge for me, it’s a testament to the strength, joy and spirit of my dad. Dementia robbed him of who he was, it was devastating to witness. I count myself lucky to have had Stanley as my dad and I am determined that my family remember this amazing man as he was before the cruelty of dementia.
“It’s heartwarming to have some of my Traitors’ castmates by my side. We made a great team on the show so I know they’ll put their all into it. A few of them have also been impacted by dementia in some way, so it means a lot for us to do something together to help put a stop to this awful condition.”
If nothing changes, one in two people will be affected by dementia, either by caring with someone with the condition, developing it themselves, or both. As the UK’s leading dementia research charity, Alzheimer’s Research UK is accelerating progress towards a cure by revolutionising the way dementia is treated, diagnosed, and prevented.
Emma Whitcombe, Deputy Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK:
“We are immensely grateful to Diane and her castmates from The Traitors for taking on Tough Mudder in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK. It’s great to see their experience of working together as a team seeing them through its challenging obstacles and across the finish line. Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer and with almost one million people living with dementia in the country today, we must give hope to families who’re relying on us to find life-changing treatments. We’d like to thank Diane and her faithful team for standing with us for a cure.”
To donate to The Traitors Tough Mudder, visit: Diane Carson is fundraising for Alzheimer’s Research UK (justgiving.com)
