A thirteen-year-old boy from Brentford has pledged to go bald to raise £120,000 for the Alzheimer's society. 

Sam Edmonds was inspired by the legendary Queens Park Rangers (QPR) footballer Stan Bowles and two other close friends, Maggie and Aunty Marie, who battled but unfortunately succumbed to the disease recently. 

"Previously, I did not understand the extent of how horrible a disease it was. It's probably one, if not the worst disease out there," said Edmonds. 

Sam's father, Ricky Edmonds said it was Sam's idea to do a haircut for charity and it was his second time after doing one for a food bank two years back that raised up to £3,000. 

Ricky is a care worker and remembers Maggie's last days saying, "I've seen how it destroys people". 

"There are images of Maggie that are in my head, but I try and dismiss them." 

He said he agreed with Maggie's daughter, Sarah, to not allow Sam to meet Maggie during her final days. 

"I don't think Maggie recognised me once while I was at the hospital (even though) she knew I was there. 

"I have always said that with Alzheimer's, you lose your loved one twice," he said. 

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 'The leading cause of death in 2022 in the UK was dementia and Alzheimer's disease (65,967 deaths) accounting for 11.4% of all deaths.'

The Alzheimer's Society is a collective of experts and clinicians with over 40 years of experience who provide critical support to people throughout their experiences with dementia. 

Ricky said that in addition to investing money in research, the Alzheimer's Society offers practical support, which was important.

"They offer help to the relatives of the people that are suffering. I think it costs £15 for a phone call for an hour where you can get advice and practical help. 

"Watching what Sarah went through and how she had to deal with it, there needs to be somebody there for these people," he said. 

He said he understands that £120,000 might sound like a lot of money but that he and Sam had a little mantra. 

"All Sam needs is 120,000 people to give them (Alzheimer's Society) a pound each, and that will make the difference," he said. 

He said that fundraising has not been easy and that there's a lot of people that you don't even get a reply from, "but it's just a case of knocking on those doors".  

Help Sam raise this amount by donating on his JustGiving page. 

Learn more about how donations help make a difference at Alzheimer's Society.