REAL LIFE STORY
TOTALLY
DEVOTED A daughter tells of the family bonds that ill health can’t break and the team they know they can rely on.
I was blessed with a wonderful upbringing, in a really happy home…
M
y mum is a tough little Irish lady with a wicked sense of humour. She’s had more than her fair share of illness, including kidney and lung cancer but nothing has been as scary as what’s happening now. Mum got diagnosed with early stage mixed dementia a few years ago but this last year it’s changed her – each day we lose a little more. It’s the most heart breaking illness to witness and it’s incredibly frightening at times. Watching my mum run outside shouting for help, making accusations that she truly believes are true. She’s become increasingly confused – it affects her speech, she has mood swings. I’m a really positive person
and I’ll never give up, but at times you feel hopeless. I was blessed with a wonderful upbringing, in a really happy home. There was always laughter and love, there still is! Mum and dad have been married 64 years. They make a great team and have never been apart, so when dad was admitted to the Woodlands Hospice earlier this year, mum couldn’t cope without him. She ended up getting sectioned (under the Mental Health Act) and spent some time in Clock View Hospital, which was totally heart breaking for us all. Dad always said, “I took my wedding vows serious and I’ll look after Maud till the end.” But it’s taking its toll on
him. The South Sefton community team is incredible; they do a fantastic job and always go that extra mile. Our community matron Jacqui has been there from the outset, looking after both mum and dad and helping me too. Carla Wilson our mental health nurse has been amazing with my mum and helps me to understand this awful illness. Lois Nash from Social Services fills in all the pieces inbetween. To have a team of professionals who help when you’re out of your depth is so reassuring, to be able to pick up the phone and know they’ll be there. They understand… they make a difference. Meet the team on page 22.
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