At this time, roughly 5.7 million people in the United States alone have Dementia. Not only does this affect a person’s ability to socialize but it also leads to confused thinking and memory loss. Sadly, that includes family members and close friends. An individual can tell someone with Dementia a story and within hours or days, they forget it.
A granddaughter and grandma
For one woman, her grandma lives with Dementia. And although that comes with a lot of challenges, it’s also created some precious moments. She created a video in part to show how these patients forget but also to continually see her grandmother’s joy.
She noticed something
The woman is 21-year-old Madison Bynum who lives in Houston, Texas, the same town as her 84-year-old grandmother, Shirley Bynum. Madison had some super exciting news to share with her. And the minute she told her what it was, this grandma lit up like a Christmas tree.
A moment of joy
So, what was it that Madison shared with her grandma? She explained that she and 22-year-old Cole Rogers who serves in the Air Force were getting married. Although it was exciting to tell her grandmother, Madison knew that it wouldn’t be long before she forgot.
She came up with a plan
Although Madison’s grandma was a happy woman, Dementia and all, talking about the engagement brought out something in her that she hadn’t seen for a long time. That’s when she came up with a genius idea.
She’d film it
Madison decided she’d pick random times to tell her grandma about her engagement although she’d shared the news many times before. But now, she’d record them. That way, she could make her grandmother feel good and have the chats documented.
It went viral
After uploading a video of multiple conversations between her and her grandma on social media, it didn’t take long for it to go viral. The interaction also resonated with a lot of viewers who had loved ones living with Dementia. For everyone, it was uplifting.
Wonderful news
In the video, you see Madison sitting in a car. Soon, her grandma, who she fondly refers to as “Memaw,” climbed into the passenger seat. She then tells her she has something to share. Her grandmother asks, “What?”
Showing the ring
Without saying a word, Madison lifts her left hand to show her the engagement ring. The grandma responds with, “Oh, how beautiful…wow.” Then Madison says. “I’m engaged.”
Pure joy
In the sweetest way possible, her grandma looks up at her and with a big smile on her face, quietly says, “That’s wonderful.” This same thing repeats itself several times in the video. And with each one, the grandmother is surprised and thrilled for her beloved granddaughter.
A heartwarming story
In the video, Madison shares an early photo of her grandmother holding her as a small child. Then, it turns to an image of Cole down on one knee while on a mountaintop proposing. But probably one of the most precious images is of Madison as an adult sitting on her grandma’s lap.
As the video goes on, you see this same thing play out repeatedly. And every time, the grandma is just as excited and sweet. It’s obvious these two share a very special bond. To watch how this plays out, we invite you to click on the video below.
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Source: YouTube, Mayo Clinic
