Brother and sister do sky dive for Alzheimer Society

As family outings go, it’s unusual to say the least.

This Sunday morning Ballinabrackey siblings James Ennis and Lilly Murphy will travel to Abbeyshrule Aerodome to take part in a sky dive 10,000 feet above the Longford countryside. The brave brother and sister team are doing the sky dive to raise funds for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

It’s a cause very close to the Ennis family’s heart as their mother Betty was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2010 and has spent the last few years in the care of the staff at the Rose Lodge Nursing Home in Killucan.

Betty moved to Rose Lodge after her condition deteriorated to such a degree that home care was not an option. While she is very well looked after by the staff at the home, her devoted husband Paddy spends every day with Betty.

Lilly, James and their siblings also have a rota to ensure that their mother receives that care and attention that she lavished on her family for so many years.

“She was your typical Irish mum. She raised six of us and always put us first,” Lilly told the Westmeath Examiner.

“At Sunday dinner, she wouldn’t feed herself before she was sure that we were all fed. We were her life.”

While they have heard mixed reports from people who have done sky dives in the past, Lilly and James say they are looking forward to Sunday morning. They are hoping that their jump will raise some much needed funds and awareness for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

“The call Alzheimer’s the long goodbye and that’s what it is,” Lilly says. “ We have been losing our mother for the last six years.”

For more information on the Alzhemier Society of Ireland visit: www.alzheimer.ie.