In late August, ADI’s Asia Pacific Regional Director, DY Suharya and two dementia advocates from the Asia Pacific region, Bobby Redman from Australia and Vanetha Ramiah from Malaysia had the opportunity to participate in the Walk the Talk for Dementia.
This yearly event is a 4-day, 40 kilometre walk with the goal of connecting people from all over the globe, from all walks to life, united under the goal of exploring dementia through a unique perspective, reshaping personal and professional perspectives about the condition. It is organised by Fernando Aguzzoli Peres, the Director at the Walking the Talk for Dementia Institute and Senior Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute. The walk is inspired by his own experience as carer for his grandmother.
The walk emphasizes participation from a diverse demographic, including people from all genders, ethnicities, cultures, and personal and professional experiences in order to create a community-driven knowledge-sharing experience.
The walk culminated in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and the participants then convene for a 2-day symposium to discuss their main theme: Re-Imagining, Re-Thinking The Future of Dementia which focuses on the voices of people with dementia, reflections, solutions and collaborations. DY was asked to give a presentation on her personal journey through the events that led her to becoming a dementia advocate and ADI’s Regional Director.
On the experience, DY shared the following thoughts:
It was such an honour to have participated in this year’s Walk the Talk for Dementia. Such an amazing opportunity for people from all over the world, from all pathways to converge here in Spain and raise awareness to the ever-present stigma surrounding a dementia diagnosis. It was particularly impactful that I was able to share my personal journey from being a carer for my mom and evolving as a global dementia advocate in my capacity to help and support 20 members in the Asia Pacific as Regional Director for ADI. I can see how far I’ve come, and how much progress has been made in the dementia space. It was so exciting to also accompany Vanetha Ramiah, a person with dementia from Malaysia and Bobby Redman from Australia to join the event together with all other advocates from around the world. Events like Walk the Talk, allow us to reflect on our journeys, but also recognise that there is still so much work to be done in terms of raising awareness and reducing the stigma of dementia.