In an absolutely dramatic turn of events, as if a scene is borrowed out of a movie, a father with Alzheimer’s retrieves his memory. He happily sings, along with his son, as he recalls the lyrics of his favorite song “Quando, Quando, Quando.”
Simon “Mac” McDermott, 40, usually takes his father for a ride around the city. This would be considered a regular event, as most caring sons do take their ageing parents around. When Simon plays the music, the father suddenly starts singing the song, recalling the words of the song to perfection. He even prods his son to sing along.
Simon’s, the 79-year-old father, Ted suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. In 2013, Ted was diagnosed with dementia.
Ted was a singer by profession and entertained all his life, throwing performances for audiences all across England. This was his primary occupation and he continued to sing till late in his life, even after being married and having kids.
But lately Ted, who has just turned 80, has been experiencing memory lapses. He often finds it hard recognizing his loved ones. His bouts of angry outbursts have increased due to frustration, as he is not being able to recall memories and recognize his loved ones. But it was music, his first love, that did the trick.
“Now when we’ve got him singing again he’s back in the room,” Simon says. “It’s these moments that we treasure.”
Watching the old man sing heartily, his son created this beautiful video that soon went viral, reaching and sharing his touching experience with the world.
Since it was music that prodded his memory and brought his memory back, although it was for a short period, Ted had decided to plan a performance for his loving dad, alongside a band.
Quite obviously, music occupies a special place in the old man’s brain and is refusing to be wiped out. That is what we call passion.
Simon feels strongly about his father’s illness and would like to contribute more towards the work done by the Alzheimer’s Society. Through the video he hopes to raise funds.
This story is sourced from the littlethings.com.
