One in five UK adults still incorrectly believe that dementia is an inevitable part of getting older
• The charity is on a mission to battle the serious misconception that dementia is an inevitability of old age. Its new ‘#ShareTheOrange’ campaign, featuring Samuel L. Jackson, highlights that physical diseases cause dementia, most commonly Alzheimer’s using an orange to symbolise the weight of matter lost in the brain as the condition develops.
• The campaign runs during World Alzheimer’s Month, from 16 to 30 September.
Ben Lake, Member of Parliament for Ceredigion is joining Alzheimer’s Research UK to call for greater awareness of dementia and the need for more research. The announcement comes ahead of World Alzheimer’s Day (Saturday 21 September) and as the charity launches a major new awareness campaign fronted by Samuel L. Jackson.
Despite dementia now being the UK’s leading cause of death, a recent poll found that 22% still incorrectly believe that dementia is an inevitable part of getting older. Alzheimer’s Research has joined forces with Samuel L. Jackson for the #ShareTheOrange campaign to highlight that physical diseases cause dementia using an orange to symbolise the weight of matter lost in the brain as the condition develops.
Diseases like Alzheimer’s are not a normal part of the ageing process. They are physical diseases that damage the brain. This is the message at the heart of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Share the Orange campaign. In the campaign film, Samuel explains: “The damage to a brain with Alzheimer’s can leave it weighing 140g less than a healthy one. That’s about the weight of an orange…this shows us it is a physical disease…”
Samuel goes on to describe how: “dementia strikes at humanity’s most valuable resource, the cells of a human brain…it destroys these precious cells and the links between them.”
The #ShareTheOrange film ends with hope as Samuel L. Jackson states: “…with research we know diseases can be slowed, they can be stopped.” He calls on the public to share the film to “change the conversation and help Alzheimer’s Research UK make these breakthroughs possible for dementia”.
Samuel’s family has been impacted by Alzheimer’s more than most, having had six relatives diagnosed with the disease. He said: “It’s been proven from other diseases throughout history that where there is research, there can be a cure. Where there is research, there is hope. By sharing the knowledge that diseases like Alzheimer’s are not simply part and parcel of old age, we have the power to push research forward and put an end to this devastation. We must act now to speed up research towards breakthroughs.”
Ben Lake said:
“Alzheimer’s is a cruel and unrelenting disease that affects so many families across Wales. When an individual begins to lose their memory, something greater than memory is at stake. Memory isn’t just about remembering, and memory loss isn’t just about forgetting. Memory is responsible for creating continuity, meaning, and coherence both for ourselves and for those around us.
“I’m confident that with advanced scientific research, hard work and generous support, Alzheimer’s Research UK, one day, could make finding a cure for this cruel disease a reality.”
Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“Research has made major breakthroughs in other disease areas in recent years and we can do the same for the diseases, like Alzheimer’s, that cause dementia. Our scientists are already making vital discoveries and with more support for their work, we can turn discoveries into life-changing breakthroughs more quickly.”
“We’re calling on the public to #ShareTheOrange, turn fatalism into hope and make dementia the next big medical success story by backing Alzheimer’s Research UK’s world-leading research.”
The award-winning #ShareTheOrange campaign is in its third chapter for 2019; Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston supported the 2018 campaign, and the campaign debuted in 2016 with backing from former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston.
Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity and last year pledged to commit a landmark £250m of funding towards pioneering medical research into the condition by 2025.
Dementia is the world’s greatest medical challenge, not only for the individuals affected and their families, but for society as a whole. Over 850,000 people in the UK have dementia, and the condition has an economic impact in the UK of over £26bn a year – more than cancer and heart disease combined.