Peter Lovenkrands has spoken of his heartbreak seeing his dad’s life being claimed by Alzheimer’s.
The 32-year-old’s father, Bent, passed away in January 2010 at the age of 61 after a five-year battle against the degenerative disease.
Peter’s fundraising drive will see him use social networking site Twitter to inform fans of prizes that can be won if they donate £5 to his Just Giving page, with all the cash going to the Alzheimer’s Society UK.
Papiss Cisse’s signed number nine shirt and goalie Tim Krul’s signed gloves will also be up for grabs.
Peter Lovenkrands: “Losing my dad was a very tough time.
"I haven’t really spoken to anyone about it until now.
"For five years my dad had the disease. In the beginning, we realised he was starting to forget things like words and letters and how to write, even though he was completely clear in his head.
“From there, it escalated quite quickly. Suddenly he was not the same dad I used to have.
"My mum had an unbelievable responsibility on her shoulders with me being so far away and my brother Tommy, although living in Denmark, living a long drive away.
“It was tough with her being on her own. She did a fantastic job looking after him for those years with no help. I’m so proud of her.
“As it got closer to the time, he had to go into a home because my mum just couldn’t look after him on her own anymore. It went downhill so quickly from there.
“Within months, it went from us being able to sit with him and hold his hand and him sometimes being able to recognise us to him just lying there in his bed, not really knowing what was going on. It was so unexpected that his condition deteriorated so quickly.
“People think it’s just a disease the elderly get, but my dad was only 55 when he was diagnosed.
“I was over here when he passed. I was trying to get home and I was waiting for a flight when my mum rang and told me he’d passed away.
“That was very tough for me. I kept thinking I had let them both down by not being there for them at the end.
“He was a born comedian – he was always joking with people – and he loved kids.
“He was a fantastic dad, very hardworking to provide for his family. You don’t realise until someone is not here anymore how much they do for you. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for him.
“Even now, I still have days when I go outside and look up to the stars and talk to him.
“And when I watch the goal I scored against West Brom, I still get tears in my eyes.
“One of the hardest things for me was, because of my football, I don’t feel I was there enough for him. I hope he will be looking down now and be proud of what I’m doing. I want to be as good a dad as he was.
“Alzhiemer’s is a horrible disease and I just want to raise as much money as possible for those affected by it.
“I’d been wanting to do something for a while, but it was my wife Teresa who came up with the idea of using Twitter.
“And the club have been fantastic, meaning it’s already starting to snowball.”