“Mum’s Dementia Means She Forgets She Has Grandkids"

Real Fix

Credit: SWNS / Jade Mead  A mum with dementia forgets her grandchildren so finds out she's a grandmother each day for the 'first time' – and her reaction is bittersweet.  Josie Hunt, 65, was diagnosed with Korsakoff syndrome – an alcohol-induced form of dementia – in October 2020.  It means she struggles with her short-term memory and forgets she has grandchildren.  Her daughter, Jade Mead, 35, takes her children Marli, three, and Lottie, three months old, to see their grandmother and said she always says "Jade, you didn’t tell me you had children".  Despite the surprise, Josie is never annoyed about it and loves cuddling Marli and Lottie like it is the first she has met them.

Transcript

00:00 Hello.

00:01 Oh my god, hello.

00:02 Hello.

00:03 I just love that you have children.

00:05 My mother has dementia and I had a baby eight weeks ago, that's her there.

00:10 She's my second daughter, I also have a daughter Marley who's three, she's not with me right

00:13 now.

00:14 She's at home with her dad but basically my mum has dementia and so every time I see her

00:18 it's a surprise to her that I have children because essentially every time she sees me

00:23 it's like meeting the kids for the first time.

00:25 So today I'm going to see her with my little baby Lottie.

00:29 So I've just quickly come to the shop first because I'm going to print her an updated

00:31 picture which is from our newborn shoot we did a few weeks ago which I can put up in

00:36 her room so that she can remind herself that I am married and have two children.

00:41 Okay, I've printed the picture, there's us and now I've come to see mum so I'm excited

00:51 to see her reaction.

00:52 Oh my god Jade!

00:53 Don't talk too loud because she's asleep.

00:54 She's awake?

00:55 Yeah.

00:56 Oh my god I've forgotten.

00:57 I didn't know you had a baby, I must have known and forgotten.

00:59 Yeah that's okay.

01:00 Oh my god, how old is she?

01:01 She's eight weeks now.

01:02 Oh my god she's gorgeous Jade!

01:03 I know.

01:04 Oh my god look at her, the cute little bunny girl bless her.

01:05 Is she smiling?

01:06 Is she smiling?

01:07 Oh she's gorgeous, she reminds me of you when you was a baby Jade.

01:08 Does she?

01:09 Yeah.

01:10 Aw.

01:11 Your hair was exactly like that, you used to have that little bit of, that's why I always

01:12 thought you was going to be dark when I first saw you.

01:13 I know, she was so dark when I first saw you.

01:14 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

01:15 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

01:16 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

01:17 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

01:38 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:02 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:29 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:36 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:41 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:42 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:43 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:44 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:45 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:46 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:47 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:48 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:49 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:50 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:51 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:52 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

02:53 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:00 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:01 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:02 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:03 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:04 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:05 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:06 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:07 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:08 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:09 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:10 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:11 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:12 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:13 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:36 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:37 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:38 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:39 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:40 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:41 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:42 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:43 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:44 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:45 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

03:46 I was like 'oh my god, what's going on?'

Category

Transcript

Recommended