A son documented the heart-breaking moment that his mother, suffering with dementia, said the ‘words that no child ever wants to hear’.
Joey has created a video diary on Youtube of his journey with his deteriorating mother to raise awareness of how traumatising a disease it is for everyone involved.
It is difficult to watch the agonising moment when his mother forgets who Joey is, expressing a complete lack of memory of their relationship as well as her husband (Joey’s father).
Reddit users found the emotional video really difficult to watch…
Joey wrote:
When I started this video series I made a commitment to my Mother, caregivers and other people suffering from Dementia that we would make a difference and show the world the suffering that’s involved with this disease. I plan on taking this video series all the way to the end.
The people that are suffering and have suffered from Dementia deserve that everyone know the pain and suffering they have been through.
I know I’m not the first child to go through this with their Mother or Father and I won’t be the last. I now know the loss and pain they felt when this horrible day finally came.
The video shows the mother and son go out on a journey to the mall, she gets her haircut before they sit down for some food.
Joey asks his mother ‘do you know who my mum is?’
She looks confused and says she doesn’t know, to which Joey replies, ‘Do you know who I am? You know who I am though right?’.
His mother shakes her head, and when asked where they met, she makes a guess that they met at school.
Joey reminds her that he is her son and you can hear his heart fall apart and him breaking down as she reveals her loss of memory.
Watch the painful but insightful moment below…
Joey has revealed some of the most intimate and personal moments from his traumatic journey with his mother so that the world can understand the power of dementia.
The last part of the video shows the painful moments by himself in the car after dropping his mother home, where he shouts through tears ‘She knows my name but doesn’t know who I am’.
Joey expressed that he ‘felt like she just died’.
