IT was learning of his own mother’s dementia diagnosis that spurred Ray Morrison to try to raise awareness of one of the biggest health crises of our time.

There are an estimated 850,000 people living with dementia in the country, and this startling figure is likely to rise again to more than one million by 2025.

For the last few years, Mr Morrison, who is originally from Belfast, has ploughed his energy into educating the public about the disease.

He hopes to bust myths surrounding the disease as well as generate greater understanding.

“My mother, who is 84, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and this is what prompted me to do something,” said the Newport resident.

“It is a worry. But as a family we pull together.

“The hardest part is when you are looking at the person and you see the shell, with aspects of the personality fading away.

“At times she does not know who I am. But you have to accept it. For me, as long as she is happy and safe, that is what I’m concerned with.

“Following my mother’s diagnosis, I felt that I needed to raise awareness of dementia.

“There is so much that people do not know about it.

“Who knows about all the different types? Not many do.

“There are probably 100 or more types; there is Vascular Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Dementia with Lewy Bodies and many, many others.

“You can have it at any age, too. I know of a child who’s under 10 and has a dementia.”

A few years ago, Mr Morrison, who moved to South Wales in 1996, pledged his support to the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends project, which inculcates people with knowledge surrounding the disease.

He has since signed up 3,000 people and hopes to increase that number.

“It was my son who got me involved with visiting schools to talk about dementia,” he said.

“St Joseph’s High School became the first Dementia Friendly school in the country.

“I have visited lots of schools for pupils to learn more about it.

“I am passionate about this because people who are living with dementia are still a person. It is not just about losing memory. It is not part of the natural ageing process. It is possible to live well with it and that is what I want to get across. That is why I am spreading awareness.

“People need to become Dementia Friends.”

On top of his already busy schedule, Mr Morrison is also director of the award-winning Newport-based care provider, Bluebird Care.

The firm won the third sevctor or community team of the year in the recent South Wales Argus Health and Care awards.

He said: “We send carers into homes to care for clients. Our carers allow them to stay at home.

“I had spent 25 years working for pharmaceutical companies and I got to a point that I wanted to do something different.

“I then got involved in the care sector.

“The company is very successful and very well known. We employ about 40 people.”

And when asked if he is fearful at some stage of receiving a dementia diagnosis, he replied: “I am not worried about it.

“What will be will be.

“We just need to focus on the fact that you can live well despite having dementia.”