Title: What do you do when the mother you love is no longer of sound mind?
Page: 65-71
Issue: Reader's Digest June issue

This story is about the mother of three kids in a family of five whom suffered from Alzheimer's disease and is no longer of sound mind and had difficulties doing and making basic desicions on her own. The family was forced to live far apart due to the South African diaspora, leaving the father, Yves, to single-handedly take care of his mentally unsound wife, Claude. He had to bathe, dress, feed and exercise his wife and was getting really exhausted having had to take care of her round the clock, till one day their daughter, Josephine, came back to South Africa for a ten-week stay. Yves and Josephine then took turns to take care of Claude. It was until a time where Yves could no longer take care of Claude and their daughter was suggesting that they put her mother under the palliative care resident, Abbey Lodge. However, it was difficult for Yves to accept that decision as the couple had been together for 50 years and he could not bear to abandon his wife. This put Josephine in a dilemma and till finally she said 'We have to do this. Because no time is ever the right time'. What she said was really true as no matter how many times Yves said that he is isn't ready, he would actually never be ready. This lead to a reluctant change of heart from Yves and after seeking advise from his other two children and getting their support, he finally agreed put his wife under palliative care. It took Claude some time to get adjusting to her new home but all in all, it looked the best decision made for her.

Love, what an amazing thing this could be, how it could change a person, and how deep it really is? In this story, it demostrates the strength of the love Yves showered to his wife. It touched me most when he said that he could not bear to abandon her as they had been together for 50 years, even though she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease for the past few years and that he had to work his socks off taking care of her round the clock. Put another man in his shoes and the most probable response is that he will find his old and useless wife a burden and may not hesitate to send her to an old age home. I'm also awed by the determination of their daughter, Josephine, to go against her heart and make her decision which benefits both her father and mother. She showed great character to persuade her already shaken father to just allow his wife under the care of the palliative resident. Still, she made this decision all out of love and that she didn't want her father to suffer anymore till one day he collapses due to sheer exhaustion and when that time comes, it is really unthinkable and hard to imagine what would the life of her's turn into. This story demostrated how bonded this family is and that their reluctant choice of letting Claude under palliative care showed just how much they spared a thought for one another at the expense of their own will.

Done by: Lian Yi Jie(33)