When you love someone who has memory problems, you learn to live in the moment.
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Jason van Genderen is a filmmaker from Australia who understands this concept all too well. His mom Hendrika is 87 years old and has both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
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While caring for Hendrika, or Oma as she’s known to her family, can be challenging, Jason has found ways to make every day count.
For example, when the novel coronavirus pandemic began, Oma missed going shopping so much that Jason created an at-home version of her favorite supermarket. Next, he came up with a wonderful way to help her celebrate Mother’s Day, and the results are breathtaking!
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Inspired by some of his favorite childhood memories, Jason decided to transform their home into an aquarium, much like the one he used to visit with his parents.
With help from his wife and kids, he hung parchment paper inside some large windows in their house and used two projectors to display a video of tropical fish gently gliding through the water.
When everything was ready that evening, he brought Oma outside and made sure she was comfortable. Then he started the show, and Oma gasped in surprise.
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“Jason, I’ve never seen anything like it,” she exclaimed as she watched the fish swimming in their new aquarium. “It’s very beautiful!”
She couldn’t take her eyes off the gorgeous sight as Jason reminded her of all the times their family spent the entire day at the Sydney Aquarium.
While Oma couldn’t remember the “bit of magic” her son made her the next day, Jason said it was all worthwhile just to see her smile! Plus, they recorded the sweet moment, so she can relive it as often as she wants to!
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Jason really went above and beyond to make his mama feel special! What a moving surprise!
See Oma admiring her aquarium in the video below, and be sure to share the stunning sight with your friends. For more stories of joy and hope, check out the Coronavirus Good News Dashboard.
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