Golf player was bidding goodbye to her dad with dementia. In his final moment, he recognized her and smiled

On May 18, golf player Emily Lattner received an urgent call that her father, battling dementia, was unresponsive in the hospital, and she was asked to visit him immediately. Adopted from China with her sister, Lattner is a mother and a golf player, who goes by @thekosherpanda on Instagram. She has been quite vocal about her parents’ illnesses in her profile. In a deeply moving Instagram post that recently gained wide traction, she shared a raw and emotional moment with her father. “As we sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic for two hours [while] leaving the city, we prepared ourselves for the worst. In all honesty, I've been grieving my dad since his dementia progressed in January. It's been absolutely heartbreaking watching this disease pull my dad further and further away cognitively,” wrote Lattner.

When the 31-year-old’s father was admitted to the ER with abdominal pain, complications followed. He was being treated for an infection with antibiotics, but his condition did not improve and required the removal of his gallbladder, which warranted an additional surgery. Though the family was told twice that he would be discharged, that day never came. Instead, they received a devastating call — one that suggested time was running out. Lattner shared, “My dad is still in the hospital and we are still unsure of when he will be discharged. I'm so grateful we were all able to be with him. He woke up one hour before we arrived at the hospital after being completely unresponsive.”

Each year, there are over 57 million cases of dementia worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases diagnosed annually, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States alone, the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia reports that over 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, a number projected to double by 2060. With the neurological disorders associated with the disease, it becomes a hard task to recognize a person’s face or voice. 

As her family rushed to the hospital to meet him amid the pain, there was a flicker of grace — her father regained consciousness just in time to share a moment with her. As seen in the video, he looked, recognised, and smiled at her while he was lying on the bed. In another post, Lattner shared that her parents gave her and her sister a life filled with love and happiness. Her mother is a cancer survivor who has spent decades saving lives as a dedicated infectious disease doctor, while her father is an army veteran with sixty years of experience in education, shaping a generation of students. She shared how witnessing both her parents battling major sicknesses has been heartbreaking. 

“In all transparency, it's incredibly hard to see any light in what feels like total darkness. My mom is currently in the hospital being monitored after getting CAR T-Cell Therapy. Unfortunately, she will need to stay an extra week because of the side effects she is experiencing. We had to put my dad in assisted living. He was almost immediately transferred to the memory care unit because of the progression of his dementia,” Lattner lamented.

While she penned a heartfelt note, viewers offered immense support. @ei_golf commented, "He’s so loved, and it’s evident that he loves you so much too." "Very touching, remember that forever!" said @cadehavard. People also shared her grief, "So sorry, our fathers will remain in our hearts and thoughts forever," wrote @leon.fred.

@trillium_rose lamented, "Oh, this is so hard. I went through something similar with my dad in February. There’s nothing to prepare you, but you know that you’ll have to say goodbye at some point. I’m sorry. On the positive, keep remembering the good times, and it’s so special that you’re able to be with him now." @thekosherpanda replied, "I'm so so sorry for your loss, Trill. I've been actively grieving my father for months now. I know the time will come sooner than later. He has lived the most amazing and full life. I'm so grateful that he was able to see so many milestones in my life and be around to meet his first grandchild. I'm grateful every day for the time."

You can follow @thekosherpanda on Instagram for more such stories.