A MOTHER of three from Basingstoke will be walking the South West Coast Path to raise awareness after her "caring" mother was diagnosed with end-stage Alzheimer's.

Paula Cooper who loves in Hook is taking on the incredible challenge alongside her husband Simon, which she said will take her eight long weeks to complete.

Paula’s mother, 81-year-old Margaret is currently at St Christopher's Care Home and has spend much of the last few years without visitors due to Covid, including her 80th Birthday.

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Paula said: “She is at the point now where she is bedridden or needs to be in a chair and she doesn’t really talk and she sort of knows us and sort of doesn’t.

“Like everyone else during lockdown there wasn’t much else to do so we all walked, and I love walking and I rediscovered that love of walking. I read a popular book called The Salt Path and the couple end up walking the path that we are walking.”

She said the book gave her the inspiration to take on her very own coastal adventure, which will see her walk 630 miles in a mammoth eight weeklong trek.

She is completing the walk to raise money for charities Alzheimer's Research UK and Alzheimer's Society.

She added: “The reason I chose those two charities is that when my mum was first diagnosed Alzheimer's Society was instrumental in helping my dad and I choose Alzheimer's Research UK because any money we raise will go towards research for better treatment and tests.”

Paula described her mother as a “kind and caring” person and someone who “loves to help everybody”.

Paula will walk the last weekend of the trip with her three children and is looking forward to taking on the challenge.

She added: “We just don’t know who will get Alzheime's and it could be us and it is very likely I will get it because it is heredity but this is just a lovely way to remember my mum while she is still here.”

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She will start the walk on Monday (May 2) and aims to complete the walk on June 26.

Paula said she has been amazed so far to see how generous residents have been in donating.

She has currently raised over £4,000 with a goal of £5,000 for each charity by the end of the walk, to donate visit:  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/adventure-4-alzheimerssociety or https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Adventure-4-AlzheimersResearch.

You can also follow Paula @paulas.mad.adventures on Instagram & Facebook on her journey by reading her blog here: paulasmadadventure.wixsite.com/swcoastpathwalkblog

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