NOVELIST and dementia sufferer Valerie Blumenthal has been made a Champion of Alzheimer's Research UK for raising the profile of the rare form of the disease she lives with.

Since being diagnosed with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) in her late 50s – the same disease which Discworld author Terry Pratchett suffered from – the best-selling writer has shared her experiences with the world, giving talks to the House of Lords and the Women of the World Festival.

Now the novelist, who lives with her husband Chris in the village of Moreton, near Thame, is keen to use her new position to raise more awareness about the little-known but life-destroying condition.

Posterior Cortical Atrophy is a rare form of dementia which impacts the way in which the brain processes information from the eye.

It can make everyday tasks like driving, reading and walking down the street increasingly difficult.

Ultimately there is a complete loss of connection between the brain and the eyes which leaves the individual effectively blind.

Mrs Blumenthal, who has published eight novels including the best-seller Saturday’s Child, said: "I used to love driving, but increasingly I began having minor accidents: clipping the curb, or, worse, the wing mirrors of oncoming cars.

"I didn’t know where to position my eyes in relation to the road, signs leapt out at me and busy junctions were hell.

"It took three years to get a diagnosis and during that time I had become an expert at bluffing to my friends and family to cover up why I no longer did the things I enjoyed so much, like playing the piano, reading, playing backgammon and painting.

"When the diagnosis finally came in November 2013 it was such a relief not to have to pretend anymore."

As an Alzheimer's Research UK Champion, she will join a growing group of 45 nationwide who have made "outstanding" efforts to help the charity's mission to "defeat dementia".

Alzheimer's Research UK chief executive Hilary Evans said: "We are delighted to make Valerie a champion and greatly appreciate her support.

"Her motivation for raising awareness of our work and increasing public understanding of dementia is a personal one, as with so many of our supporters.

"Valerie’s bravery in facing dementia head on by publicly talking about how it has impacted her life is incredibly inspiring so we cannot thank her enough.

"Increasing the profile of our research by conveying such a powerful message is helping to bring our scientists ever closer to finding better forms of diagnosis, preventions, new treatments and an eventual cure for all forms of dementia."