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Somebody I Used to Know by Wendy Mitchell (Omnibus)

A dementia diagnosis at just 58 saw Wendy Mitchell face up to a disease threatening to steal all hope. Read by Tessa Gallagher.

Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s​ at the age of 58 ​. ​

But after a 20-year NHS career based in York, this single mother of two adult daughters was not going to ​just ​give in.

Th​is is her account, written with Anna Wharton, of how she determined to try and outsmart the challenges served up by the dementia on a daily basis.

​Every tiny victory was hard won.​

Every day is faced with courage and resourcefulness.​

​F​our years on from th​e​ diagnosis, she still lives independently, spends more time than ever travelling th​roughout the UK to give talks​,​​ ​and ​continues to ​do whatever she can to change a society that views dementia as a death sentence.

Her driving force is a compulsion to live in the moment, never knowing which version of herself ​- somebody she used to know - ​ might greet ​her ​when she wakes ​each​ morning.​ ​

Written by Wendy Mitchell and Anna Wharton.

Omnibus of five parts abridged by Amanda Hargreaves

Read by Tessa Gallagher.

Producer: Lizzie Davies

A Waters Company production for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4, first broadcast in February 2018.

1 hour, 10 minutes

Last on

Mon 23 May 2022 01:00

Broadcasts

  • Sun 11 Feb 2018 09:00
  • Sun 11 Feb 2018 20:00
  • Sun 22 May 2022 13:00
  • Mon 23 May 2022 01:00