Losing a loved one is truly terrible, but anyone who’s seen a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s knows that the disease is especially cruel. You lose the person you once knew, but still have to watch them suffer every day.
When Shannon Gray Blair’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she received an unexpected response from one of her coworkers, Sandy Cambron. Unlike many people who tiptoe around someone who’s struggling with a sick loved one, Sandy asked Shannon to help her with an errand that is close to her heart.
When Shannon saw what the task was and the effect it had, she was overwhelmed by the gesture.
I was so moved by the photos Shannon posted after the task, and I definitely think her effort is worth sharing!
Sandy’s mother-in-law Pearl was moved to a care facility after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and Sandy wanted to do something special for Pearl and the other patients at the facility.
“When my mother-in-law Pearl became sick with Alzheimer’s, my husband and I gave her and all the other women patients in her facility baby dolls and the men puppy dogs,” Sandy wrote. “Their response was amazing.”
So of course, when Sandy found out that Shannon’s mother was suffering from the same disease, she knew she had to step in and help. She rounded up all the baby dolls and stuffed puppies she could find, and enlisted Shannon’s help. Together, they made a very special Valentine’s delivery.
Best Valentine’s Day delivery
Shannon was incredibly moved by the gesture and the effect it had on the patients at the facility.
“I can promise you that no matter what you got for Valentine’s Day, mine was way bigger and better than anything you could ever imagine,” Shannon wrote on Facebook. “A few weeks ago I told you about my dear friend and co-worker Sandy that gave my mom and her roomate babies. Today she delivered 28 babies and 4 puppies to mom’s entire unit. I was honored when she asked me to help.”
“I’m amazed by how much she loves me.”
Although the babies and puppies aren’t real, they are a true comfort to people suffering with Alzheimer’s. They become precious companions for patients who are losing their memory, and need to feel loved and needed.
When Sandy and Shannon deliver the dolls they ask the grandmothers if they want a little boy or a little girl, and they encourage the women to name their new “grandchildren”! The pure joy on the womens’ faces is truly heartwarming, and proves just how much of a difference these simple gifts make to peoples’ lives.
And it wasn’t just babies being delivered at the facility that day. The men each received their very own little lap dog to pet and play with!
Shannon was overcome by emotion after seeing the reactions of the peope on the ward that day, and she took to Facebook to thank Sandy for her generous effort.
“I have no words for what I experienced today. I’m amazed by her passion for those affected by dementia/Alzheimer’s,” Shannon writes. “I’m also amazed by how much she loves me. Thank you Sandy for making such a difference and sharing your beautiful heart with so many people today. It’s a day I will never forget.”
Seeing the looks on these patient’s faces as they receive their much-wanted new companions is something that I’ll remember for a long time!
See the patients’ heartwarming reactions for yourself in the clip below. All of us deserve to be treated with love and respect, and we should never forget the people around us who need some extra love and care.
Please share this story to help spread Sandy and Shannon’s initiative further, so that more people will be inspired to do something worthwhile today!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJHdUhNCn_s&feature=youtu.be
