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Graeme Sutherland (internet personality)

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Graeme Sutherland
Graeme Sutherland
BornJune 25th 1991
Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation(s)TikTok Star, Social Media Influencer, Alzheimer's Advocate/Ambassador

Graeme Sutherland born in 1991, Glasgow, Scotland is a Scottish TikTok content creator and Alzheimer's awareness advocate. Known online as @graemefs,[1] he has garnered significant attention for sharing heartfelt videos documenting his mother Linda's battle with Alzheimer's disease, diagnosed at early onset at just 59 years of age. His content sheds light on the realities of living with dementia and aims to challenge stereotypes surrounding the condition.

Early and personal life

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Sutherland was raised in Erskine, Scotland. He has a twin sister. Their mother, Linda, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in her late fifties, following years of misdiagnoses that attributed her symptoms to severe depression. This was largely due to the death of her husband Ronald Sutherland, who battled a sudden and short diagnosis of a brain tumour. The siblings became their mother's primary caregivers, balancing this responsibility alongside full-time employment.

He began modelling in 2022 for Colours Agency and has worked with various brands, most notably Celtic F.C and Scottish wedding magazine, Tie the kKot Scotland. Though his work modelling is mainly commercial, he is regularly photographed in wedding attire.

Sutherland left his full-time employment at the beginning of 2024 to focus on spending more time with his mother.

TikTok Journey

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Sutherland began posting videos on TikTok during the COVID-19 lockdowns as a way to raise awareness about Alzheimer's. His posts range from joyful moments, such as Linda singing and dancing, to challenging scenes depicting the effects of the disease, including memory loss and vision impairment. One viral video of Linda recognizing her late husband's name received over 2 million views. As of 2024, Graeme has amassed a following of nearly half a million across social platforms.

Social media

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Sutherland has used social media to amass around 600 thousand followers from around the world. Known for his TikTok, Sutherland uses Instagram and Facebook to connect with his audience. This has led to a huge amount of fundraising and helping others through similar situations.

Graeme has worked with Smiley to present daily 'positive news' segments 2023 - 2024 which have been posted on Smileys own social media.

'Through the storm' is a podcast in which Graeme released in early 2024, currently with 2 episodes. In these episodes, he speaks very openly about his mother's Alzheimer's story and the death of his father, Ronald.

Advocacy Work

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In addition to his TikTok content, Graeme serves as a social media ambassador for Alzheimer Scotland.[2] He has participated in campaigns like Scotland's Memory Walk and fundraising initiatives, including a charity skydive, the Kilt walk and walking the west highland way. His efforts have been praised for sparking important conversations about dementia, providing support to caregivers globally and challenging the stereotypes around the disease.

In 2023 Graeme took part in 'Thank yYu dDy'[3] by being involved in recording Tony Christies' cover version of Thank You for Being a Friend,[4] which was originally recorded by Andrew Gold in 1978. The single was released to raise awareness for Thank You Day in aid of Music for Dementia. [5]

Media Coverage

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Graeme has been featured on several television programs and news segments, most notably ITVs This Morning and STV nNews,in which he shares why he began documenting the journey. Graeme has been featured in several news outlets, including The Glasgow Times and Blethered podcast, where he shared his family's journey and the challenges of navigating life with Alzheimer's. He emphasizss the importance of early diagnosis and reducing stigma surrounding the condition. Amongst the many media avenues Graeme has taken ,he has also been on numerous radio shows to discuss Alzheimer’'s-elated topics. In September 2024 Graeme teamed up with BUPA to highlight mental health in men talking candidly habout ow being a carer has taken a toll on his own health. This was a carpool -tyle interview with Martin Kemp, both opening up about their lifves

Recognition

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In 2024, Graeme was nominated for the second time by The Scottish influencer Awards,[10] in the category 'Inspiration'. Graeme won the award as Scotland's inspirational influencer of the year.

References

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  1. ^ "TikTok - Make Your Day". www.tiktok.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  2. ^ "We are Scotland's dementia charity". www.alzscot.org. 2025-01-07. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  3. ^ "Thank You Day 2024". Thank You Day. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  4. ^ Music for Dementia (2023-06-27). 'Thank You for Being a Friend' - Thank You Day Anthem by Tony Christie feat Sting, Nile Rodgers. Retrieved 2025-01-08 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "Home". Music for Dementia. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  6. ^ "National Dementia Carers Day: The TikTok star raising awareness". ITV. 2024-10-12. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  7. ^ Fitzpatrick, Caroline Lewis, Tara (2022-11-30). "'My mum is just a shell of the person she was'". STV News. Retrieved 2025-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "'It's not just about memory loss': Glasgow TikTok star talks about his mum's Alzheimer's". Glasgow Times. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  9. ^ "This TikToker is teaching people about Alzheimer's". Smiley Movement. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  10. ^ "Welcome". Scottish Influencer Awards. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
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