In memory of Irene “Slater” Netherwood

For Irene 💜💜

Wednesday 12th Aug

Dementia is a cruel disease.

It doesn’t just take memories. It slowly takes pieces of the person you love, while leaving you standing beside them, remembering everything for them.

My beautiful Mum has now passed away, but dementia will always be part of our story.

Watching Mum change over the years was heartbreaking. There were conversations that disappeared, memories she could no longer hold onto, and parts of the woman we knew and loved that slowly slipped away.

But Mum was never her dementia. She was our mum. A mother, a loved one, a person with a lifetime of memories, stories, laughter and love, even when she could no longer remember them herself.

In the end, we sat beside her. We held her hand. We told her we loved her. We talked to her, even when she couldn’t answer. And we remembered for her.

Now that she has gone, there is an enormous emptiness where she once was. There is grief not only for losing Mum, but for everything we lost along the way to dementia.

I wish more people understood what dementia does to families. The exhaustion. The heartbreak. The confusion. The constant little losses that happen long before the final goodbye.

So if you’re caring for someone with dementia, be kind to yourself. Take the help when it’s offered. Treasure the moments that still make them smile. Take the photos. Tell them you love them. And remember that the person is still there, even when the disease makes it difficult to see them.

Mum may have forgotten so much, but we never forgot her, and we never will. You were loved every step of the way.

Rest peacefully Mum. ❤️

Share