Irish Examiner view: Joining forces to combat dementia

As we celebrate Bríd and Vincent Kelly's 60th wedding anniversary, let's also mark recent positive developments in addressing Alzheimer's Disease and dementia

Vincent and Bríd Kelly on their wedding day in 1963. The couple, who are affected by Alzheimer’s Disease, recently renewed their wedding vows while raising funds for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

It was a poignant message for us all when Dublin couple Vincent and Bríd Kelly, 60 years married, decided to publicly renew their wedding vows for us all to share. Because the ceremony, recorded by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, was an eloquent reminder of our responsibilities to each other and to fellow citizens in a society where we are all ageing and will become mutually dependent.

Bríd, who lives with the disease, celebrated her original wedding with her husband, who is her primary carer, and other family members and friends ahead of World Alzheimer’s Day this week. More than 64,000 people are calculated to be suffering from some form of cognitive impairment in Ireland, while around the world about 55m are calculated to be affected by its impact.