The Tucker Family

Wendy Tucker tells us about her family's fundraising in loving memory of Jean.

Why did you decide to fundraise for your chosen cause?

My Mum, Jean, was 69 years old when we lost her to sporadic Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) on 5th May 2020. Prior to falling ill Mum was an avid fitness fanatic and was often at the local gym, and was the back bone of the family landscaping business. She was highly thought of in the local community especially for her kindness to others.

How did you raise money?

Mum passed away at the height of the pandemic, at the time we were unable to have a funeral and wake. We held a celebration of life for Mum at Rudding Park Hotel, Harrogate on 13th September 2021.  We enjoyed an afternoon tea and I compiled a video of photos, videos and her favourite music to remember her by. My eleven year old son, Stanley, was very close to his Nana and he organised a raffle on the day to raise vital funds into CJD research at the University of Edinburgh. Local businesses and friends were very generous donating raffle prizes and buying tickets. Stan’s star prize was a hospitality package donated by Manchester City Football Club. On the day of Mum’s celebration, Stan raised £2500 and did his Nana, Grandad and I proud. 

National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit

National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit