A SOLIHULL family have joined forces with a dementia charity to raise awareness of the disease by wrapping a giant scarf around the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Rosie Zoro and her family and friends, from Dorridge, have helped the Lewy Body Society with their campaign #AScarfForLewy.
It saw a huge 1,600 metre scarf wrapped around the entire circumference of the Royal Albert Hall seven times.
It was the charity’s way to show support for those living with Lewy body dementia, raising awareness of this very often misdiagnosed condition, and to symbolise the wraparound support available for those living with the disease.
Rosie got involved with the project by knitting away and encouraging family and friends to knit part of the giant scarf too.
Multicoloured contributions were sent in and added to the humungous scarf to form part of the miles long final product.
Rosie and her daughter Cassandra Zoro travelled to London to help wrap it around the iconic venue.
Rosie said: “I really wanted to get involved to help raise awareness about Lewy body dementia.
“I was glad that so many friends got knitting and contributed to the giant scarf and that my daughter and I could be there to help wrap the Royal Albert Hall up!
“My husband Jim has been sadly diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia.
“This kind of dementia is very complex with many physical and mental health challenges.”
Cassandra added “My Dad is an incredible man. Prior to Lewy body he was active and healthy, enjoying long walks, helping at the local village hall and he was also lucky to have achieved his life-long dream of sailing all the way around the world in a small boat.
“I would encourage anyone who has a retirement dream to make sure they take that leap and do it sooner rather than later!”
It’s estimated that around 100,000 people in the UK have Lewy body dementia.
It can cause the motor problems associated with Parkinson’s disease, hallucinations and sleep problems, as well as the progressive decline in cognitive abilities found in other forms of dementia.
Jacqui Cannon, chief executive of The Lewy Body Society, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Rosie and her friends and family who knitted scarves.
“The aim of the scarf was to showcase the huge amount of wraparound support that we can offer those living with Lewy body dementia and their families.
“We hope more people will become aware about the condition and show their support to families affected by the disease through this unique event.”
Visit https://www.lewybody.org for more information.
