Granddaughter asked grandpa with dementia why he has a ‘faded’ picture in wallet—his response left her amazed

Life is tough for people with dementia and even for those caring for them. It is heartbreaking to see your loved one forget memories and experiences that created who they are. We do everything in our power to try and help them retain the memory for as long as possible. However, the disease is such that it robs their most priceless treasures. A woman named Amy understood this pain well as her grandpa, Robert, was suffering from dementia, per Newsweek. The woman noted that the man had forgotten much. However, when she spotted a faded picture in his wallet and asked him about it, she was moved to hear his response. 

Amy recalled the younger years of her grandfather, who is now in a retirement home due to his condition. He and his wife were pillars in the family and she always looked up to them. Unfortunately, Amy’s grandmother passed away in 2019. Ever since, Robert’s health started deteriorating, specifically with regard to his memory and mental health. “I feel this brought his dementia on quicker. They were the typical old school love, met at 15 and 17 at their local youth club, three kids and five grandkids in the suburbs of Liverpool,” she recalled.

When the woman passed away, the grandpa didn’t take it well and would often ask when she was going to return home. “That’s when we got the dementia diagnosis,” Amy said. As his dementia progressed, Robert was in need of specialized care and was eventually shifted to the retirement home. One of the things he enjoyed with his granddaughter was having a beer with his wallet full of money. "It's fake money now. The bartenders at the pub allow him to give this in as if he is still paying for his own pint and then we always pay for the bill properly as we leave,” the woman said.

During one of these outings, Amy spotted the picture in her grandpa’s wallet. It was an extremely old one and you could tell from the frayed sides and the overall look. On taking a closer look, Amy realized that the picture was of a young and glamorous woman in a bathing suit. She shared the picture on TikTok. Confused, she asked her grandpa who the woman was. While it wasn’t expected the grandpa would remember, he left her with a shocking yet heart-melting response. “That's your grandma, my Irene,” he said to her. Amy was stunned initially but as she pondered her grandpa’s vibrant memory of his wife, she knew it was no surprise.

She recalled the deep love the duo shared and was sure that it was responsible for her presence in his memory despite her passing and his dementia. "His room is plastered with pictures of her and them together from throughout the years. He mixes all of the grandkids and his own kids' names up but never my grandma,” Amy remarked. While she continues to spend time with her grandpa, she has learned the difference between an “old and new love.” She concluded, “Even when battling a disease like dementia, we can still recognize those closest to us at the worst of times.” 

You can follow Amy (@amesxxxxx) on TikTok for more content on family and lifestyle.