Husband Thought Wife With Dementia Won’t Know Him, Then He Sees Her Reaction
Husband Thought Wife With Dementia Won’t Know Him, Then He Sees Her Reaction
Dementia is one of the most heartbreaking conditions to have. Everyone knows that when a person has Alzheimer’s disease or any form of Dementia, that sooner or later, they will forget everything they know, including the names of their loved ones. And for families with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or dementia, their worry is that they will be forgotten.
This is especially more painful for couples. Husbands and wives have been with each other for a very long time. They know each other’s quirks and they are the only ones who would be able to understand each other. But this thought may be all removed by dementia.
AlzheimeSociety states: “Alzheimer’s disease does not change a person’s need for love and affection, but it changes many aspects of a relationship. You may lose the companionship of someone who has been close and important to you. You’ll need to find different ways to express your feelings.”
Twelve years ago, Valerie was diagnosed with dementia. She would sometimes remember her husband Dan when he visits her at the memory care facility in Shelton Washington, but most of the time, she won’t. But this time, she said that “It’s her Dan” the moment she realizes that the man in front of her is her husband. This moment was made even more special because Dan was visiting her on their 66th wedding anniversary.
Dan’s carer, Lisa, shared a video of this heartwarming moment. In the description, she said, “When I take Dan to see and visit we never know if she will remember him. Today on their special day of 66 years of marriage she did. It was beautiful. I, Lisa, just thought to video so Dan could watch it afterward when he misses his wife. Which is every day. The ending was wonderful.”
At the beginning of the video, Dan says a few words to Valerie but she just looks back at him. She probably didn’t know who he was. Then her jaw drops when she realizes who he is.
She says, “Oh. Oh my God. My precious Dan. That’s my Daaaann.”
The woman behind the video can be heard saying, “See I told you she would remember you, honey.”
She then says to Valeris, “Yes, it is honey. That’s your Dan.”
“My Daaaann,” she calls out.
“Your Dan’s here hun.”
Valerie was so happy that she even gave the carer a sweet kiss on the cheek thanking her for bringing Dan to visit her on their special day.
Since the video has been posted by ViralHog, it has been viewed and shared thousands of times. In the comments, people can’t help but express their emotions.
One comment reads: “Man, this got me crying. This is too sweet. A life spent together and still have that connection even through this degrading disease.”
Another wrote: “It’s hard to watch this and justify my pursuit of a notorious career as the highest possible virtue. It would really suck to grow old alone!”
Keeping someone with dementia happy is very important. These are the times that they may feel frustrated with themselves even though half the time, they would not remember. And during these special moments is when they must feel loved and cared for.