Wicklow man walking 31 miles in mother's memory after seeing heartbreak of dementia

A Wicklow man is walking 31 miles during May to raise money for dementia care at the Mater Hospital. Paul Burke is fundraising in memory of his mother, Maura Burke, who died from dementia in July 2025 after a diagnosis about three years earlier. Maura was a mother of six from Arklow and was well known in the seaside town. Her dementia included sundowner’s syndrome, with increased confusion, agitation, anxiety, and restlessness in the late afternoon or evening. Paul described the heartbreak of seeing her decline, including being awake at night and not recognizing family members. He said his father could no longer care for her, leading to a nursing home placement for medication and support. The fundraiser has raised €440 so far through an iDonate page.

""Mammy passed away from dementia, and it was heartbreaking seeing her decline. She would be up in the middle of the night and she wasn't the same person, not being able to remember who we were," he said."

""Daddy couldn't look after her anymore, so we had to find her a place in a nursing home, to make sure she had her medication and all that. "Ever since Mammy passed, I had been thinking about doing something in her memory. Then I saw that dementia care was looking for donations, so I decided to do the fundraiser as a way of giving back.""

""Mammy passed away from dementia, and it was heartbreaking seeing her decline. She would be up in the middle of the night and she wasn't the same person, not being able to remember who we were," he said."

""The fundraiser has been going well so far, and I've been out doing my laps of the town," Pa"

Read at Irish Independent