Grandad suffering from dementia remembers lyrics of his favorite John Denver song in touching moment

Memories have an astonishing way of returning to us in ways the human mind cannot comprehend. This was recently proved to be true in a viral Instagram video posted by makeup influencer Cher Webb on her Instagram account @cherwebbmakeup, which shows her and her grandad who suffers from dementia, singing along in the car. The video begins with “Annie’s Song” by John Denver playing in the car. Her grandad gets emotional as he identifies the music playing and expressively puts his hands on his face. The very next moment grandad starts singing along, recalling every word of the song's lyrics. Cher and her grandad then sing along, losing themselves in a moment of true remembrance of the days gone by. 

According to the National Health Service (NHS), 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 suffer from dementia. It is a disease that affects parts of the brain that deal with memory, language, problem-solving and thinking abilities. It is estimated that by 2030, the UK will have more than 1 million people suffering from this disease.

Cher captioned the video expressing her sentiments about the special moment and wrote: “Annie’s song bringing back so many memories today. I really do cherish these moments with my lovely Grandad Joe. Dementia is such a horrible disease and these moments and memories together feel special and treasured. In his Scottish accent, he sings and remembers all the words and says over and over 'I love this tape, Hen.'”

The smile on the faces of Cher and her grandad having a musical moment filled up the hearts of viewers who took to the comment section to express their reactions. Viewers shared their own stories of family members suffering from dementia and how such moments provide a glimpse into one’s old life, making it a day well spent.

Reddit user @swarpar commented: “I am a carer for people with dementia, I can't stress enough how important things like this are. It triggers memories for them they may have forgotten and it has been said that to them it gives a recognized familiarity like they're coming home almost.” Another Reddit user @No_Cartoonist9458 commented: “My 96-year-old dad has dementia, he remembers everything prior to 1949, but very little since. Before he got really bad I asked him, "Why 1949?" He said that's when he married my mother and turned over all the thinking to her 😂”

Little things like an old song or an act of kindness can go a long way in making the lives of dementia patients more comfortable. Last month, 78-year-old Alex Shaw was diagnosed with dementia and soon after he was a victim of a banking scam that lost him around $294,814. 

Alex Shaw's son Victor Shaw then took his father to the nearest branch of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) to bring the scam to light and fortunately, the bank reimbursed the amount as part of their corporate responsibility policy in case of a personal tragedy. It's such instances of kindness that go a long way in making the lives of those suffering from memory impairment, a tad bit easier.