Alzheimer’s is one of the most intimidating and upsetting diagnoses our loved ones could ever receive. To see them lose cherished memories and no longer recognize their beloved family members and friends is painful in itself. Even more saddening is that this condition worsens within time. While Alzheimer’s is a condition that can potentially be avoided or delayed through the correct lifestyle, before its potential development, it is not something one can just erase.
Once a woman by the name of Shannon Gray Blair’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it was difficult to grasp. Shortly afterward, Shannon’s co-worker’s own mother was diagnosed with the very same condition. However, little did she know her co-worker had something special in mind in honor for those with this diagnosis.
Shannon’s co-worker, Sandy Cambron, organized a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Shannon’s mother, her own mother, as well as other Alzheimer’s patients. Reaching enough donations, the GoFundMe page was a success, and Sandy was able to follow through with her plan.
As a result, Sandy purchased plastic baby dolls and stuffed toy dogs. For an unexpected Valentine’s Day surprise, four stuffed dogs and 28 baby dolls were delivered to multiple Alzheimer’s patients of a local hospital: dogs for men and babies for women.
Generally, the point of Sandy’s selfless gift was to help comfort those struggling with the cruel condition, Alzheimer’s, and to provide them both empathy and altruism. As some may know, those with Alzheimer’s also often deal with mood-related symptoms: agitation, depression, confusion, anger, and loneliness, so the idea of providing either a toy dog or a baby doll was perfect to keep Alzheimer’s patients happy.
In specific, Pearl’s reaction towards receiving the baby doll was the sweetest one could ever expect, and it was fortunately caught on film for us.
Watch the video below to see Pearl’s joyous reaction to interacting with the baby doll.
