Stories That Inspire

And a little child shall lead him

And a little child shall lead them. Isaac, innocent, full of life with his trusting heart, his hands reaching for an old man whose mind is confused, his cloudy eyes squint, wrinkled hands want to pull away but his heart encourages him to trust and take a hold of this small person who can see past all the hurt that 80 years have hidden under the thin and aged skin. Isaac takes his great grandpa’s hand, the man whose blood mingles with his own…an unbreakable connection. One life slipping away with time as youth springs up! The old man, granpy as he is affectionately called, lets Isaac lead him away from the jumbled thoughts that he try's so hard to put together every moment of every day. Isaac and granpy sit facing each other, cross legged in the warm sunshine, the grass tickling tiny bare feet, worn brown leather shoes protecting ancient feet. An old man relaxing, smiling at the little person who loves him just the way he is! Pretty soon, they are both giggling, words of nonsense are exchanged and the old man is free from the mixed up world his battled mind is trapped in…they are both 3 yrs old, one is just a bit larger than the other. The little child has lead him to a place of peace where joy abounds! In this moment the confusion is gone, aches and pains gratefully forgotten, a new memory is made, one that will stay with him for as long as his unrelenting disease will let it…for a few hours, maybe days, if he is lucky this memory will burn with passion and never leave. The little child has led the old man away, if only for moment to a forever place in both their hearts.

nancy addie
La Porte, IN

A Day With Shirley

I make the hour’s drive to spend the day with my mom. As I pull in the driveway, she comes to the back door to see who is here. I see her face framed in the window. Does she know it is me?

“Hi Shirley, it’s Barby!” I have come to visit you today. “Oh, that’s nice!”

My mother is 92 with Alzheimer’s. She still lives in her own home under the care of my sisters and brother.

“Have you eaten breakfast?”
“I don’t know.”
The dishes in the sink tell me she has.

My mother was a card aficionado. She was the hub of her card playing gang. She was always sharing stories about her sisters, aunts, and friends.
Now she has no stories to share because she doesn’t know who those people are anymore. We play the card game War. Sometimes she knows an 8 beats a 5, sometimes not. I do not correct her.

We eat lunch together. Then move on to the Adult Coloring books. She enjoys them. “What color should I color this?” “Make it any color you want.”
Her picture comes out beautiful.

In between she watches and reports on every car that drives by. There is another one, another, and another.

She loves my blouse. “Is that new? It is very pretty.” Countless times.

My family is blessed because her Alzheimer’s Disease symptoms are such that we can still spend time with her.

When I leave for the day, she says, “But who will stay with me?” I tell her she is not alone, my brother and sisters are there with her. It breaks my heart as I drive out the driveway, to see her face again framed by the glass in the back door. I love you, Mom.

b.a. roger
Pawtucket, RI

The Beautiful Angel

My mom began showing signs of Alzheimer's Disease in her late 60's and it became quite noticeable by her early 70's. Her mother also had the disease and so did her brother, who was a year younger then her. She was definitely the wind beneath my wings....so giving, so loving and just so compassionate. Towards the end of her fight she identified me as her mother and it made me so proud because my grandmother was just like my mom. One day when I was about to leave after visiting her in a nursing home, I heard her talking to someone. This was strange because my mother could barely speak anymore. I walked back into her room and she appeared to be looking towards the far wall in awe. I asked her what she saw and she clearly stated that she saw "a beautiful angel...simply gorgeous". I asked her where the angel was and she said that she was " in a place so beautiful that she just couldn't describe its beauty". She then reached out her hand and quickly pulled it back and said, "No". I asked her who she saw and she said "my mother". She was speaking like a mother would to her child...a little frustrated with me for interrupting her discussion with the angel, and also speaking clearly, concisely, and definitely nothing like a women who was in the last stages of Alzheimer's Disease. That was on a Sunday afternoon and my mother passed away on Thursday of the same week after showing signs that she was failing just two days after she told me she saw an angel and her mother. I write this to give those going through this horrible disease with their loved one hope in knowing that they will be once again whole and the same beautiful person who they knew and loved before Alzheimer Disease took them away day by day. Am I worried? Yes, but I know that the beautiful angel that visits me as I am close to crossing over might just be my beautiful mother.

Anonymous
Marietta, GA

My Mom and Our Hero

My Mom suffered with Alzheimer's for 9 years and my Dad took care of her every single day. She started getting angry and not herself the last 2 years; fighting back and at times cursing, which she never did when she was "normal". She did not recognize my siblings or myself the last few years of her life and towards the end she did not even recognize my Dad except as some who was with her daily. My Dad was a saint and our Hero for caring for her. Her last gift to me was dying while I was with her. She was in hospice at the end and on August 27th, 2012 she passed away holding my hand.

Deb Stransky
Bay City, MI

My daddy and hero

My dad lost his battle with Alzheimer's and gained his angels wings on September 22, 1995. I miss him every single day since then. He was a wonderful man - full of life and a great father. He always made sure we had food on the table, a roof over us and we went on some of the best vacations ever. He was a proud World War II veteran. Eventually he began to forget our names and then our faces, but you could always tell he loved us. He could remember his childhood, but not his children or his wife of 50 years. He would call us his friends or buddies and occasionally we would see the old twinkle in those eyes. I missed the dad of my childhood, but always loved the man he was until his passing. Thank you dad for always being a great role model and the world's greatest dad. Enjoy heaven and those angel wings.

Amy
Talking Rock, GA

Mom and my birthday

By July Mom's world was memories from 30-40 years ago. She had a Doctor appointment to treat stasis ulcers and after a painful treatment helped by morphine she had about 45 minutes of clarity. It was my birthday, she looked at me stating Bev, isn't today your birthday? I don't know if she heard the nurse say something, but that was my favorite birthday because she knew me. Even had ice cream to celebrate. Mom passed in September.

Treasure any and all moments with an Alzheimer's patient..This period of time was a challenge yet made my mother's past come alive, she told stories and talked about her life when she was very young. It helped me heal after years of arguments and fights. I love you, Mom.

Beverly High
Rio Oso, CA

Dementia

I'm Rose Downs.

I feel like I've been dealt a double-whammy. Reason is because mom's got Dementia, & dad's fighting it every step of the way. He absolutely "refuses" to get assistance from anyone or anywhere. He won't even follow Doctor's orders, he leaves her @ home "alone" quite a bit & for extended periods of time sometimes. I'm doing everything I can to help whenever I can but like dad, I'm only 1 person & can only do so much. "especially" with not being "trained" to be a home health aide, nurse's aide, etc... I'm currently in a support group but am unable to convince dad "he" needs a "men's" support group as well. In "my" opinion, he's in partial denial that mom's as far along as she is, & partial fear due to the fact that once we put her in a facility, he'll lose her Social Security check, in which case, he'll "probably" lose the house among other things.

Rose Downs
Tipp City, OH

My Dad

I have been caring for my Dad for the last year. He is now in the advanced stage of Alzheimer's. While it has been difficut at times, I will never regret this time I have had with him. We have grown even closer and I have learned many things about him that I had not known. I pray that God will give him peace soon.

T.C. White
Augusta, KS

The thief

I hate AD. It is a thief. My family has been hit twice. My mother and grandmother. They both went through life very strong, independent women. My grandma was shaken, but accepted the diagnosis earlier on and took meds to manage the symptoms. She fared better on the symptoms than did mama. She was able to stay in her home with help and family support. Really the time together with her was a greater gift to us, the precious time spent with her is so sacred to me now. Eventually her kidney failing took her from us in 2010. I am not sure it wasn't the AD shutting her body down as well. By this time my mother had received the dreaded diagnosis as well and was struggling with this illness, but had refused doctors care early on and fought to not hear the diagnosis. Due to this, mama did not receive early treatment with this illness. The AD was less kind to mama and affected her more behaviorally and hit her memory harder, and her speech. We lost her right before Christmas in 2013. She had not spoken for over a year, but her eyes talked and she still tried to smile. She never became mean. Both lovely, amazing women. It was hard watching their struggles and truthfully I fear the genetics of it...They were so loved and are so missed. I cherish every moment I had with them, especially at the end. The lesson here to me, is to catch it early so it is at least treatable...I can picture them happy together in Heaven...but I miss them so...

Anonymous
Mexico, MO

"Well, If I do, I don't Want to Know About It"

Sitting in the Doctor’s office, just graduating college, and starting my “adult” life. My Granny, ironically, was sitting next to me, where she always was any time I ever needed her. She casually asked me, “Steph, do you think I am showing signs?” Trying to act like I didn’t know exactly what she was referring to, but my heart I knew. I replied in a questionable manner, “Do I see what sign?” Pausing for several seconds, she never looked over at me, and said “Alzheimer’s?”

My stomach began to ache, and I began to formulate some compassionate answer, as I knew what she wanted to hear. My mind racing with many instances. I began to put them all together, because I already knew. However,this moment put them all in one big poster-sized billboard. So, do I tell her or do I hold it in? I broke the silence, never looking over at her. “Well, Granny, do I think you are showing signs? Yes.” She turned and looked at me with determined conviction, “Well, if I do, I don’t want to know about it.”

Silence.

She then asked what made me think she had “it”.

Where did I start? So, I started with the most recent knowing she was in denial. No example would convince her otherwise, as I was halted with explanatory excuses. If we were going to stop or prevent “it”, something had to be done now.

So, I said “Granny, I love you. I am concerned to what I think you might have. I just want you to go get it checked out. Maybe they can give you something to slow or even prevent “it”, even if it nothing more than aging.” She looked at me with the same stern and determined conviction, and said, “If I have it, I don’t want to know about it.”

Well, my vivacious bestfriend is sitting in a nursing facility today in "it's" final stages. She kept moving forward with deep conviction.“If I have it, I don’t want to know about it.” I guess maybe that was the best way for her.

Stephanie Stevens
San Angelo, TX