This September marks International Alzheimer’s Awareness Month which aims to raise awareness and challenge the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Dispelling the misconception, dementia is an umbrella term for a multitude of degenerative conditions affecting the brain in which AD is the most prevalent out of 200 subcategories, with a national prevalence of 4%. Known as a disorder categorised by disorientation and confusion, its side effects are not exclusively felt by the individual but ripples through the loved ones surrounding them.
In support of raising awareness around Alzheimer’s disease, StoryTerrace, the UK’s leading national biographer, shines a light on some of the moving heritage memoirs that have entered the service, in the hopes of preserving the memories of their family members and loved ones.
Meet Janis Spicer, a woman who dedicated her memoir to the memories of her mother which were lost to the ‘Dementia Demon’ in 2018:
Janis’ mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2018 and later decided to document the devastating home truths associated with the illness as part of the process of accepting and even embracing the disease that has entered her family. Sharing not only the hardest times but recalling the fun and laughter that came beforehand, Janis’s memoir collates the pieces she and her family still have of her mother to protect them forever.
“We watched this disease take our mum away, piece by piece. This book has helped us navigate through the guilt and unhappiness that the demon has dragged on us, but through it, we have gained the forgiveness and understanding that mum deserves. We hope that the memoir helps people to avoid some of the mistakes that we made along the way and focus on the good times that outshine the desperation.”
Shirley Lane, started writing a story about her husband’s life 15 years ago – he subsequently developed dementia, making it difficult for her to continue with that storyline so it turned out to be more of a story about their lives together.
Shirley decided to capture her memoir for her family in a very honest account of a loving marriage and family that struggled to cope with the progressive onset of dementia. Capturing a true description of the ravages of dementia, Shirley recollects episodes of her life with her solid dependable husband until the horrific nasty disease stole away their future.
“I was blessed indeed to meet my ‘one and only’ because not everyone does. For true love to be everlasting, it takes work with plenty of give and take. Nobody is perfect, even the person we fall in love with. Ernie and I accepted one another’s faults, and nurtured our romantic love for one another so that it blossomed into something deep and lasting.”
Rutger Bruining, CEO and founder of StoryTerrace, comments on the benefits of learning about our family history whilst we still can:
“While action weeks are a great way of starting the conversation, it is important that awareness around physical and mental health is maintained beyond this; one study shows that if you have a close relative who has been diagnosed with dementia, your risk increases by 30%. Prioritising knowing if these diseases are present in your family history could be the difference between early and late diagnosis and allows you to take agency in your own wellbeing.
“One of the key benefits of writing a biography is how it brings people closer to their family, their history, and a better understanding of their past and who they really are. Half of the memoirs we see here at StoryTerrace are heritage stories. This means an individual comes to document and preserve their cultural history so that future generations can read and learn about where they came from, and their relatives’ enriching lives.
“This means digging up old memories, reaching out to relatives from your past and filling in the gaps that are perhaps blurrier in the present. In doing so, the client comes to learn a wealth of information about their origins – it is a beautiful process that can also prove to be useful in one’s health.”
