Our Story. . .
Dignitate was born out of my personal experiences caring for my mother, Elizabeth Gill after she was diagnosed with dementia. My father's stroke in August 2011 solidified my determination to found Dignitate.
My mother, Elizabeth Gill, was born on 15th October 1940 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. She was orphaned at an early age due to Partition and was raised by her uncle's family and her sister. Despite the challenges of a new country and a large family, she still managed to have a happy childhood.
As an adult, societal norms encouraged my mother towards marriage, but she chose to pursue her dreams. She excelled in her nursing training at Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi and joined the army, quickly becoming a staff nurse. Later, she accepted a position in Jordan despite family disapproval, relishing the country's more liberal environment.
Inspired by her relationship with Princess Muna in Jordan, my mother moved to England in 1974 and worked at Sidcup Hospital. She married my father in 1975 and settled in Croydon, continuing her work as a staff nurse at Mayday University Hospital. I was born in 1976 and my brother arrived four years later.
However, in 1984, my mother suffered a work accident that caused her to break both clavicles. A brain haemorrhage the following year led to her early retirement due to loss of sensation in her left side. Yet, she found fulfilment in helping elderly individuals in nursing homes.
In 2011, both my parents fell ill – my father had a stroke, and my mother developed Vascular Dementia, which led me to admit them both to Mayday Hospital.
By 2013, my mother's Vascular Dementia diagnosis was confirmed. I sought to understand more about this condition, educating myself with the help of Dementia Friends.
What People Say
"It was an absolute pleasure having Malcolm Gill with us during our Women's Conference. Malcolm demonstrated his passion to shared with us, invaluable information on Dementia and Alzheimer. This is an areas which is of great concern to so many of us as it's raising at a tremendous rate particularly amongst the aging population. The feedback received from all those present has been extremely encouraging and we are sure to keep intouch with Malcolm in order to support and for further gathering to share with his knowledge in this area. Once again our thanks and gratitude goes our to Malcolm for giving up a portion of his day to join us and share with us on this subject."
"The presenter Malcolm, was very informative. I particularly appreciated the fact that he came from the place of having experienced caring for an individual with the disorder. This with his medical knowledge of the subject presented a clear picture of what could be expected in someone afflicted with this illness. The information that Malcolm shared was relevant and presented sensitively. The pace was spot on, allowing us to absorb the information, comment and ask questions throughout. I find that I could identify with a lot of the points raised, having experienced caring for a family member with the condition. I'd like to thank Malcolm for shedding more light on the subject."