“It's not that painful, it's just means I walk slower, but that's ok,” says Elliott Odom, describing how his battered feet are currently being held together with blister plasters, half-way along an 11 day walk around the Kent coast.

After losing your dad to young-onset dementia, perhaps a few blisters don’t really register on the pain-scale – and the 21-year-old from Rochester is determined to complete his epic hike from Rye to Sheerness in memory of dad Ben.

Diagnosed with the condition in 2015 at the age of 61, Ben battled the disease for four years, but sadly died in 2019.

Despite the devastating impact on his loss, they say the trauma of living with the disease – for both Ben and the rest of the family – would have been so much worse without the help of Dementia UK.

“It's a horrible thing at whatever age but when you're younger, you’re in different situation,” said Elliott. “You're working and have a family to support - me and my sister were growing up.

“It was very hard for us, and mum and was working very hard. We were put in touch with an Admiral Nurse, Jody (one of the specialist nurses supported by Dementia UK) - they're a point of contact for a family trying to get through it, and she was a fountain of advice and support whenever you're in a spot of bother.”

For Elliott, the most difficult part of the process was when his father had to move from the family home to be cared for.

“There was a stage where it wasn't safe for my dad to be safe at home alone, and we had to put him into care,” he said. “That was a very hard thing for me to come to terms with. It would have been so much harder without Jody and her team's support.

“I think one the hardest things was that it was happening while you're growing up. When it’s young onset the change is so quick for someone who is naturally conversational - the decline happens so quickly.

“When it came to him not living in our family home, it was difficult - I just didn't want to admit it.”

“I was 13 when he was diagnosed, and afterwards I was going through my GCSEs. It's not something a young person should have to go through.”

Despite the difficulties, Elliott managed to get through both GCSEs and A-levels at Holcombe Grammar School, and is now studying geography at Bristol University.

While most students are enjoying a break from the subject during the summer, Elliott decided to take on the geography of the Kent coast, starting his coastal walk in Rye last Tuesday.

So far he’s raised more than £1,200 via his JustGiving page – which can be found here – and says he’s been overwhelmed by the support.

“I wanted to give back because it's something it's something our family has benefited so much from,” he added. “It’s amazing how supportive people have been. I wanted to raise a bit of money but I've been blown away by how generous people have been. I've been very touched by it.”

Paying tribute to his dad, Elliott said he had been a talented singer and pianist, performing classical, choral and musical theatre around the world.

“He was also a music teacher, particularly for piano and singing,” he added. “He was very clever, witty, and kind, and a great father to not only me and my sister, Jemima, but also our four older half siblings before our time.

“Even when he was ill, and he lost essentially 95% of his communication, his humour and warmth found new ways to shine through.

“He is very dearly missed by all of us, but has left a great legacy in a growing, loving family, as well as in his music and all the pupils he taught.”