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Tamielle Brunt

Share my fundraising effort with your network and let's beat dementia, together.

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$616

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$500

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I'm raising money for my Grandmother, Jean and the 433,300 Australians living with dementia.

On Sunday, 14 June, I'm taking part in Brisbane's Memory Walk & Jog to raise funds to support Australians impacted by dementia. This is a cause close to my heart and I would love your support.

Please make a donation to support my efforts and help us reach our goal to beat dementia.

Not many people know, but dementia is Australia's leading cause of death. By 2058 it's expected that over 800,000 Australians will have dementia. But we can change this.

All money I raise will support the work of Dementia Australia and help provide vital support services like counselling, support groups, education, and research to help find a cure.

Together we can achieve a lot. Your donation would mean the world to me.

Thanks for your support!

My achievements

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Raised $150
Bronze Dementia
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Raised $500
Silver Dementia
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Raised $1,000
Gold Dementia
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Raised $2,500
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I'm on my way to becoming a Gold Level Fundraiser. Can you support me with a small donation?

I will help

My Updates

Don't Stop Moving: Granny's journey through dementia

I’ve thought long and hard about sharing Granny’s story, she’d probably hate it. The ever stoic woman, that would never admit that anything was wrong. That was her era, brought up in wars and the depression, you just got on with it. Her mother was the same and I guess I can admit the apple doesn’t fall far, to my mum and me. 

But I’ve tried to be the one to challenge these old habits and be open and vulnerable to the stories that cause us discomfort because it can be healing and it can help others. So here goes… 

Keep in mind this is my personal experience of events and I don’t know all the research into dementia. 

Covid: that’s probably when Granny’s mind started to slip. All of a sudden a woman who was out and about, still driving at 89, having visitors and face to face contact, it stopped. Confined to 4 walls and just a phone connection, the other connections and activities ceased and the mind and body doesn’t get challenged as much as it used to. Even though she had her garden and was always pottering around, it just wasn’t the same. 

Looking back it was the little things. The repetition of stories, forgetting things that we had told her earlier in the week and the change in behaviour. Slowly, she started not looking after herself such as eating good meals, even though she was adamant she did.

To me it was upsetting, seeing the vibrant woman she once was, change. To me she was always patient and then started to become more irritated with small things or even things that would never have been an issue in the past. She became upset at adding groceries to the fridge because I moved things. It was strange to have to navigate such mood swings. But apparently that can be common with dementia. 

In May 2023, we got her up to Queensland where two of her children lived and there she stayed. Initially, my mum was looking after her and the family went through the motions of getting a dementia diagnosis and care assessments. Those people are lovely, making sure mum and Granny had all the help they needed. 

Granny continually asked when she was going home and she was quite restless. Her behaviour was becoming more, it’s hard to find the right words. She was not herself, even snapping more at my mum and me. I think Granny knew she was getting muddled but then not really understanding. When she did kind of realised she would get upset but after a time forget all about it. Her mind was regressing back to older times and her stories were of when her children were little, getting confused even though her grown up children were right in front of her. I seem to be always in high school (over 20 years ago) asking if I was on school holidays. The one thing that has helped with the angsts was her being prescribed a mild dose of anti anxiety medication. This seemed to help her settle and seems to be a common medication for dementia patients. 

Another thing we noticed was Granny started talking more to soft toys. There were a select few on the bed at mums. This can be common with some dementia patients. So it was great that we could purchase from the Dementia shop, a companion cat. It purred and meowed and moved a little bit. Granny named it Mr Mistoffelees, which was a name from the musical Cats. But then she’d forget and say something else. Anyway it gives her some joy to have this cat without the responsibility of a real one! 

May 2024
It came to the point that Granny transitioned to a nursing home. Although mum was still willing to care for her a time came when it just happened and Granny seemed ok with it. Although, I don’t think she really understood and her mind would take her to a different era anyway. 
My mum was riddled with guilt, she never thought she’d put her mum into care and hated that she felt like she’d let her down. But it’s hard looking after a parent that is slowing down and you still have a life to live. My mum would have to reconsider travelling because Granny was in her care and that’s hard because you need a break.
So it was a blessing in disguise to have the transition to the nursing home and she settled in well. 

Granny’s mind continues to play tricks on her although it doesn’t seem to cause her distress. She had a trip to Adelaide on a bus one day (she now lives in Qld). 
You just have to go with the stories because she has no concept of time and who is around. 
I do wonder if it’s painful for her to relive certain memories such as losing her parents, husband and brother? But then she seems to forget again. 

For me, one of the hardest things in the New Year of 2025 was when I visited Granny and she didn’t recognise me. It was quite confronting as I grew up having a lot to do with her and continued to call and visit her in Victoria as much as I could. I know it’s just how her mind works now but I wasn’t ready for it and her complete confusion on her face when she asked ‘now tell me, how are we related?’. 
She could remember Tamielle but not the Tamielle in front of her. Maybe she thought I was still little and it was confusing for her to have a grown up Tamielle. 

She’s 95 now, and getting slower and slower. It’s hard to just see her ‘existing’ from the vibrant woman she was. 
It’s a roller coaster of emotions seeing a loved one deteriorate in mind and body. I’m trying to remember the memories with Granny before the dementia and look back on old photos to help keep them fresh. 

I hope even though she’s in her own little world, that she’s at some peace and will soon find her way back to Grandpa.

Thank you to my sponsors

$117.15

Janelle

$106.50

Susan

"👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️"

$90

La Toya Jamieson

"So proud of you for doing this. Such an incredible charity!"

$58.58

Nicolas Rakotopare

$58.58

Jenny Callaghan

"Thought you would do this again. Thanks for caring Tamielle ❤️"

$58.58

Charlotte L

"You go girl! 🫶"

$50

Maree Jackson

$34.10

Tamielle Brunt

$21.30

Meg

$21.30

Lee Mcmichael

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