Daughter announces pregnancy to mum with Alzheimer’s every day
Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease, robbing sufferers of not only their memory, but also of the joy of celebrating exciting news and milestones. However, the daughter of one woman affected by the disease has found a beautiful way to bring happiness into her mother’s life, sharing her pregnancy news every single day.
Setsuko Harmon’s short-term memory is particularly affected by the illness, so every time she hears her daughter’s baby news, she gets excited all over again.
“I can tell her and two to five minutes later she won’t remember,” Setsuko’s daughter, Christine Stone, tells People. “It’s like watching a kid at Christmas wake up and see his presents over and over again, because each time she gets so excited.”
Christine says she was inspired to record the special moments to bring awareness to Alzheimer’s. “Yes, it’s sweet seeing my mum get so excited over and over again, but it’s so sad at the same time.”
Despite the bittersweet daily ritual, Christine can’t wait for her 77-year-old mum to meet the newest addition to the family. “I expect her not to remember her, but I know when my mom meets my daughter she’s going to get excited every single time,” she explains. “It’s sad, but it’s not sad, because she will be just as excited to meet her over and over again.”