The Christmas mum couldn't remember, the woman we'll never forget: A moving dementia story too many will relate to

May 16 to 22 is Dementia Action Week, the Alzheimer's Society's biggest awareness campaign. This year's theme is diagnosis - and to mark it, former Manchester Evening News news editor Lisa Roland has written about the impact the disease had on her own family. Both of Lisa's parents were struck by the illness. As a retired doctor, Lisa's mother, Jill Roland recognised the signs of Alzheimer's in herself and booked an appointment at the GP. Weeks later she had no memory of the original visit.

“Oh darling, it’s so good to see you,” gushed my old mum as she threw her arms around me. With the rain lashing down outside, she ushered me into her house and hugged me again.

“Let me make you a cup of tea, then we need to decide what are we going to do for Christmas this year? I’ve made a list but we really need to go through everything.” It was like I'd been punched in the stomach. I followed her into the kitchen as she put the kettle on and urged me to warm up by the radiator.

READ MORE: 'When can we see Nana Maureen?': The beloved grandmother-of-60 still separated from her family

She opened the fridge to get out the milk. It was full of cling film-covered little bowls... bowls of turkey, stuffing and Christmas pudding leftovers. A small jug of apple sauce sat next to a ramekin dish of cranberry sauce.

It was Boxing Day. And my mum had completely forgotten the big Christmas family meal I had laid on at her Stockport house the day before. She’d forgotten her grandchildren loudly competing to be heard as 10 of us crammed round the little dining table.

She’d forgotten the tradition of one person reading the cracker joke with everyone shrieking out the punchlines. I’d been there with my husband and daughter, together with my