To Simon McDermott, “Quando, Quando, Quando” is a very special song, and that’s because it allows him to share a precious moment with his 79-year-old father, Ted. You see, in 2013, Ted was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia that causes a decline in memory and thinking abilities. Symptoms increase over time and eventually become severe enough to hinder day-to-day activities. If you’ve ever
If you’ve ever had a loved one in your life with this Alzheimer’s disease, you know how difficult it is to watch them as their memory slips, even being unable to recognize members of their own family. But every now and then, they will have lucid moments, “snapping back” to their normal self for a period of time. It’s not clear what triggers these lucid moments but it is suggested that it has to do with the way the brain organizes its memories. And incredibly, music has been known to help trigger this lucidity.
Throughout Ted’s life, he was a singer and entertainer, performing for audiences throughout England. Sadly, as his Alzheimer’s disease progressed, he could no longer recognize his loved ones and he would have sudden outbursts. But his family eventually figured out that singing was the key to bringing him back. “Now when we’ve got him singing again he’s back in the room,” Simon says. “It’s these moments that we treasure.”
Although this is a sweet memory, it’s also something that may make the family sad time-to-time. Having a loved one suffer from a disease that takes his/her memory away is something that can take getting used to. Some people may never get used to this new condition, constantly hoping to have their family member back in good health and able to recognize those who love them. But, like Simon, you do have to find and cherish those simple moments that help bring someone suffering from Alzheimer’s, back to reality.
So, in the video below that has gone viral, we see Simon and his dad singing so joyously while driving around. And there’s a wonderful reason that Simon has decided to share this video: he’s hoping to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society so that we can hopefully one day find a cure for this terrible disease. Please help raise awareness and share this beautiful story with your family and friends.
