A ROMSEY man is aiming to raise thousands to help his 35-year-old wife who suffers from dementia.

Jon Bamford, from Botley Road, is looking to raise £7,000 for his wife Barbara after she was clinically diagnosed with the illness approximately six months ago.

Now Jon is hoping the money raised will help cover the "best possible send off" for Barbara, which could be in the next "two to five years", according to Jon.

Barbara now lives at a care home specialising in dementia in Curdridge. She is also a mother to two girls, who are Chloe, 14, and Sophie, 12.

The 36-year-old binman said: "I knew Barbara was ill a couple of years ago because of her behaviour and, although she has depression, some things started happening a lot more, such as her slurring her words.

"I sold my car and we paid to be seen by a specialist; eventually we got the attention that was needed and a scan showed the true underlying issue.

"She has deteriorated so much that we cannot have a conversation with her now, but she still does know who we are.

Jon added: "It has been tough because we are such a close family. It is mentally hard to try and go forward in my life when I am still living in the past, so I am in two worlds.

"When we first got the news about Barbara's dementia our youngest daughter, Sophie, had only just started school as well.

"Barbara now lives in The White House in Curdridge, which specialises in dementia care, and when we ring her to see how she is getting on she will sometimes give the phone to someone else and try to hang up.

"We go to see her two to three times a week to see her and the girls normally see her on Sunday for tea."

Jon has just set up a JustGiving page to help raise awareness of the cause.

He is also hoping to team up with his friend, who is a chef, to try and hold an event where they will sell cakes.

When asked if Jon would want to do any other charity events to help reach his £7,000 goal, he said he would be interested in "taking part in a long walk".