Emotional return to parliament

An emotional return to parliament on Wednesday

My awareness campaign started with some homemade posters from my bedroom during my respite hours whilst caring for my wee mum Joan .In the middle of my campaign I walked round Scottish towns and Cities colleting life stories with only one promise to take those letters to the Scottish Parliament .Not in protest nor petition bus as they where, life and love stories .I have been to parliament a few times since for meetings and updates .Always coming home to tell my wee mum all that happened as I would do when out meeting carers or doing awareness talks ,My wee mum was never well enough to attend ,dementia had taken a firm grip by then but mum was always part of the discussion the first letter my own personal story

On Wednesday I have a members  debate based on the life stories and my new project Dementia Carer voices with thanks to Jackie Baillie for facilitating this.As a son and on behalf of carers I have met ,have still to meet and who send me life stories thank you .This time I will come home to an empty house and in many ways an empty heart as my wee mum will not be there to hear all that happened 

.I discussed this once with  the then Health Secretary and Deputy First Minister Nicola sturgeon as we met to chat about  my campaign about and how  there is always great  sadness that my mum was never able to attend the things I do in her name.after mentioning this she said  I have to meet the mum ,Joan you always talk about ,and she did Nicola came in private to our house one night in the last weeks of mums life and held my mums hand.So  when I go to parliament for this debate on Wednesday to do the best I can in my  wee mums name  and all who face this illness and their carers I will have many emotions but will never forget the night parliament came to Joan

Tommy        

with my wee mum Joan

with Deputy First Minister Nicoal Sturgeon  who came to meet my mum

with Shadow Health Secretary Jackei Baillie Discussing members debate