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.
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.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 (laughing)
00:02 Hello.
00:03 My mother has dementia and I had a baby eight weeks ago.
00:08 That's her there.
00:09 She's my second daughter.
00:10 I also have a daughter, Marley, who's three.
00:12 She's not with me right now.
00:13 She's at home with her dad,
00:14 but basically my mom has dementia.
00:16 And so every time I see her,
00:18 it's a surprise to her that I have children
00:20 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.
00:28 So I've just quickly come to the shop first
00:30 because I'm going to print her an updated picture,
00:32 which is from a newborn shoot we did a few weeks ago,
00:35 which I can put up in her room
00:36 so that she can remind herself
00:38 that I am married and have two children.
00:40 Okay, I printed the picture.
00:46 There's us.
00:48 And now I've come to see mom,
00:50 so I'm excited to see her reaction.
00:53 Oh my God, Jade.
00:54 Don't talk too loud 'cause she's asleep.
00:56 Yeah.
00:57 - Oh my God, I forgot.
00:58 I didn't know you had a baby.
00:59 I must have known and forgot.
01:01 - Yeah, that's okay.
01:01 - Oh my God, how old is she?
01:03 - She's eight weeks now.
01:05 - Oh my God, she's gorgeous, Jade.
01:07 - I know.
01:08 - Oh my God, look at her.
01:10 The cute little bunny girl, bless her.
01:13 Oh, she's smiling.
01:14 - Is she smiling?
01:15 - Oh, she's gorgeous.
01:16 She reminds me of you when you was a baby, Jade.
01:18 - Does she?
01:18 - Yeah. - Aw.
01:20 - Your hair was exactly like that yesterday,
01:21 that little bit of,
01:23 that's why I always thought you was going to be dark
01:24 when I first saw you.
01:25 - I know, well, she was so dark
01:27 that I reckon she'll go blonde.
01:28 - Blonde, 'cause you and Ryan are both blonde, aren't you?
01:30 - Well, Ryan's dark, but he was blonde when he was younger.
01:33 Ryan's got brown hair.
01:34 - Brown? - Yeah.
01:35 - Yeah.
01:36 - Oh my God, Jade, she's gorgeous, isn't she?
01:39 (Jade laughs)
01:40 Oh, what's her name?
01:41 - Lottie.
01:42 - Lottie.
01:42 - Hello, Lottie.
01:44 - How many weeks has she died?
01:45 - Eight weeks.
01:46 - Oh, bless her.
01:47 - Isn't she so cute?
01:48 - She's so cute.
01:49 (Jade laughs)
01:50 Oh, I'm so proud of you, Jade.
01:51 - I printed this for you.
01:53 - Oh, thank you.
01:53 - So that you can remember and have this up in your room.
01:55 - Oh, that's gorgeous.
01:56 - And remember that I've got two daughters now,
01:58 'cause I have got photos up in your room.
02:00 I don't know if you remember.
02:01 - Yeah, I think I remember seeing the photo
02:03 with Marley, isn't it?
02:04 - Marley, yeah, but now we've got Lottie as well.
02:06 - Marley and Lottie, oh, that's gorgeous.
02:08 - Hey, Nanny.
02:09 - Hello.
02:10 (Jade laughs)
02:11 - Hi, Nanny.
02:12 (Jade laughs)
02:12 - Oh, God, I'm so excited.
02:14 - Hello.
02:14 - I didn't know I had children.
02:16 - You did, yeah, you did,
02:17 but you just might've forgotten.
02:18 (Jade laughs)
02:19 - I'm so happy.
02:20 (Jade laughs)
02:22 - She look familiar to you?
02:24 - I don't know the name, Marley.
02:26 - Rings a bell.
02:27 - She does look familiar to me.
02:28 - Yeah.
02:28 - Hi, you're having cuddles with Nanny.
02:31 (Jade laughs)
02:32 - Oh, Jade.
02:34 - Oh, she's having nice cuddles with Nanny.
02:37 Nice cuddles with Nanny.
02:39 - How many weeks is she now?
02:40 - She's now 12 weeks.
02:42 - 12 weeks.
02:42 - Yeah, she just turned 12 weeks,
02:43 so next week she'll be three months.
02:45 - Where's the seat?
02:46 - Has that gone really quick, has it, Jade?
02:47 - It's gone super quick, yes.
02:49 - I didn't eat the seat.
02:50 - And she was born in the car.
02:52 Ryan delivered her.
02:52 - She was born in the car, Ryan delivered her?
02:54 - Yeah.
02:55 - Wow.
02:56 - Mom did a breath in the car.
02:58 - Wow, you must've been in a panic, was it?
03:00 - I was in a panic.
03:01 Oh, him or me.
03:02 (Jade laughs)
03:03 She looks very content there with Nanny.
03:05 Do you want it or not?
03:06 No?
03:07 Yes?
03:08 No?
03:09 There you go.
03:10 - Aw.
03:10 - Aw, she looks so cute in your arms.
03:11 - She's so cute, she's so cute.
03:12 - You do know that you just sometimes forget.
03:15 - Yeah.
03:15 - Yeah.
03:17 - Oh, look at you getting a head massage.
03:20 Lucky girl.
03:22 You look so cute.
03:24 - You haven't got us with Nanny.
03:27 - Aw, gorgeous girl.
03:29 - Aw.
03:30 - You haven't got us with Nanny.
03:33 Hi, bubba.
03:33 - Aw, she looks very content, ma'am.
03:36 (Jade laughs)
03:39 (gentle music)
03:41 (gentle music)
03:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]