'I cried like a baby': Iolo Williams reveals heartbreak at hero father's Alzheimer's battle

Iolo is to walk the Welsh coastal paths in memory of his father, Dai Williams, who sadly died of Alzheimer's disease and he is calling on keen walkers to join him for the "one-off" walk around Wales.

Iolo said: "Because dad had Alzheimers – which finished him off in the end – it is a subject that is close to my heart.

"Myself and my family wanted to take part in this walk to raise money and the profile of Alzheimers.

"Dad – Dai Williams – was headmaster of Llanwyddyn Primary School, where I attended as a child.

"Most people have posters of sports players and rock stars but dad was, and still is, my hero. He taught me more than anything else how to treat people.

"I aspire to treat people like he did. You could have been the Queen or you could have been the binman – my dad would have treated you exactly the same."

Iolo said his late father was a headmaster of several schools and the family moved to Llanwddyn,near Lake Vyrnwy, when he was five-years-old.

"That's where I call home really," said Iolo.

"Dad got me into sport, it was his big thing. He was a very good rugby player and played for Swansea.

"The only time I ever heard dad swear was when Wales were playing England at rugby. Even though I was little, I was shocked by his language; he would swear at the tele, then turn to me and say, 'Sorry Iolo bach'".

• Dementia describes different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. These conditions are all usually progressive and eventually severe. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62 per cent of those diagnosed.

• Other types of dementia include vascular dementia affecting 17 per cent of those diagnosed, mixed dementia affecting 10 per cent of those diagnosed.

• Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding. Dementia is a terminal condition.

• There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over one million by 2025.

• 225,000 will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three minutes.

• One in six people over the age of 80 have dementia.

Iolo said his dad died when he was 87-years-old in 2009 although his health problems first emerged years earlier.

"Dad began to get more and more forgetful," he said, "he couldn't remember names and gradually got worse and worse.

"The one thing that I was really glad of is that sometimes Alzheimers sufferers get violent – dad never did. But sometimes in the early stages, he would have a moment of clarity when you could see the frustration and hurt on his face.

"The sad thing is that everybody tells you that we are just a whisker away from finding some sort of cure for Alzheimers, I know they say that about everything but despite what they say, I think we are decades away from a cure for cancer.

"But with Alzheimers, I believe we are right on the cusp of something."

Iolo said although he appreciated having his dad in his life for decades, the emotional toll that the disease takes on loved ones cannot be underestimated.

"Dad was a fair age but to see such a strong, bright and intelligent man dying from the inside out was heartbreaking," said Iolo.

He said his mother Megan initially refused to put him in a home but eventually relented for a day a week so she could have a break. He added: "I will never forget taking him to a home and leaving him there, even though it was only for a day a week.

"I hadn't cried since I was about 13 but after I dropped mum off I parked up in a layby and I cried like a baby.

"It was my dad and we had left him with other sufferers of dementia; you have this feeling that you have let your dad down. You are left with an overwhelming feeling of guilt. Mum felt like that too."

Iolo said that over time, his dad's condition deteriorated badly. He was hospitalised and one night when they visited they were told not to leave because it was unlikely that he would make it through the night.

"We all sat around the bed and he passed away just a few minutes before midnight," said Iolo. "It was a nice thing that all of us were there for him but the Alzheimers for the previous 10 years had been heartbreaking to see."

Iolo said the walks along Welsh coastal paths, including Anglesey, will see 72 separate walks taking place on Saturday, April, 16, with hundreds of people walking a total distance of 1,057 miles along the Welsh national coast path – including Offa's Dyke.

"We want to encourage anybody who has been affected by Alzheimers, whether family or friends to come along, please, please, turn out," said Iolo.

"It would be lovely to get lots of people from all around Wales and cover the whole lot really.

"If we can raise funds as well that will be a massive, massive honour.

"If you love walking, then please do sign up and help this team of volunteers raise vital funds for Alzheimer's Society.

"It would be a real achievement if we could walk the complete coastline in one day!"

Ian Walker, volunteer, said: "My father, Laurie Walker, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia a number of years ago.

"My family has seen first-hand the devastating impact that this disease can have on the person diagnosed, as well as their family and friends.

"The research Alzheimer's Society funds and the support services they provide are crucial; a timely diagnosis, specialist care for all and of course the search for a cure is a great motivator for those involved in theWelsh1000walk."

Led by a team of volunteers, many with a personal connection to dementia, the walks will all be led by an experienced walker and will have a maximum of 12 participants in each.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive officer for Alzheimer's Society, said: "I am delighted theWelsh1000walk has chosen to raise vital funds for Alzheimer's Society.

"This ambitious fundraiser is run entirely by volunteers and we would love to see hundreds of people sign-up and walk a stretch of the beautiful Welsh coastal path, to help support the 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK."

There are currently 45,000 people living with dementia in Wales – more than half have yet to receive a formal diagnosis. Dementia costs Welsh society £1.4bn per year.

To donate visit justgiving.com/thewelsh1000 or search Twitter for @theWelsh1000