Irene MacKay “The Forgetful Elephant”

My name is Irene Mackay and my campaign is to raise children’s awareness of dementia. I believe that education about dementia is just as important for very young children as it is for adults and older children, so following my Mum’s diagnosis of Vascular Dementia, I wrote my book “The Forgetful Elephant”. The story explains the memory loss aspect of this illness to young children without making it frightening or too complicated.

Based on my book, I give interactive Ellie Sessions to schools and other children’s organisations and I also give talks to adults about the importance of raising children’s awareness of dementia. I have also published a booklet of guidelines to enable teenagers to hold Ellie Sessions with younger children, for example through the Girl Guides and Brownies and High Schools working with Primary School children.

By raising children’s awareness, I hope to encourage them and their families to follow a healthier lifestyle to help reduce the risk of developing a memory loss condition. Increased awareness from an early age will also help in earlier diagnosis.