My grandma soon won't know who I am. Here's what Alzheimer’s has taught me about love
A personal essay reflecting on the emotional toll of watching a grandmother struggle with Alzheimer's disease. The author shares memories of her grandmother's resilience as a refugee and survivor, contrasting it with the slow loss of memory caused by dementia.
Why it matters
It highlights the human impact of neurodegenerative diseases and the emotional challenges faced by caregivers and family members.
From afar, she looks the same as I’ve always remembered. Black hair with a few streaks of white. Wrinkles beside her eyes that form whenever she smiles. The same gentle gnarled hands that raised me. Still, looking at her lost expression, I find it hard to recognize my grandma sometimes. I know she won’t recognize me soon.
My grandma’s life story is worthy of a novel. She came to Canada as a refugee in the '70s, escaping Vietnam with her two young daughters in tow, while my grandpa remained behind as a prisoner of war.
I’ve always known her as a survivor. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, ovarian cancer and hepatitis C. A few years ago, she had a critical fall and was hospitalized. She survived. Her physical health is resilient. But Alzheimer’s is a mental battle.
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