Peer to Peer Fundraising through Wipeout Dementia – A Tribute to Jean Nesbitt In 1945 when Australians were celebrating the end of the Second World War, a baby girl was born west of Sydney, in Granville. Her parents named her Jean. 65 years later and with three loving sons, seven grandchildren and more than 50 years of a strong and happy marriage to husband Len Nesbitt, Jean was diagnosed with vascular dementia – the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. On Friday, 11 September, just over 10 years since she was first diagnosed, Jean’s family said their loving goodbyes at a beautiful memorial held near their family home. It was his Mother’s diagnosis and his Father’s ensuing dedication to her care that led Geoff Nesbitt to the Centre for Heathy Brain Ageing’s Wipeout Dementia campaign.
He would go on to raise close to $10,000 for CHeBA’s research in the corporate surfing fundraiser and be featured on the front cover of the local newspaper in tribute to his Mum. He even competed alongside 17-year-old son Lachlan in the first intergenerational Wipeout Dementia held in 2019. In a sad twist of fate Jean witnessed and cared for many people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, so when her own diagnosis came at age 63 she was well aware of what was in store. Although Geoff and his family miss their Mother and Grandmother, their gratitude to Len Nesbitt is immense. “He always maintained he would never place Mum in a Nursing Home and would instead care for her himself up until the very end, which he did.” To discuss contributing to CHeBA’s research please contact h.douglass@unsw.edu.au
Jean Nesbitt (front centre) and her family
CHeBA in the Media ABC Health Report – Dementia Prevention, Protection and Cures Co-Director Professor Henry Brodaty was interviewed by Dr Norman Swan in a special ABC Radio National Report looking back at the last twenty years of dementia research toward a cure. http://bit.ly/DementiaProtection
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