Lanarkshire teacher's new book is a tribute to wonderful Grampa living with Alzheimer's and memory loss
A Wishaw school teacher has penned a book questioning who owns a memory and examining the effect that dementia has on families and children.
Linzi Bowden’s latest book Grampa’s Memory has recently been published and it is a “personal journey” based on her own family’s experience.
The 44-year-old who is a principal teacher and teaches a P3 class at Orchard Primary, developed her latest book over a period of time.
The mum-of-two’s stepdad Grant Nagel has Alzheimer’s. The 77-year-old’s illness and Linzi’s daughters, Olivia and Cora who are aged 16 and 13, were the motivation behind the book.
She said: “They were the inspiration for the book. I wanted to capture how they felt watching their Grampa changing.
“Living through the last five years with Grant’s Alzheimer’s dementia, and trying to explain to my daughters what was happening in a truthful but careful way, being mindful of their ages, made me consider if I could share our story to help other families who are facing this journey.
"I also wanted to honour my stepdad, he is a truly wonderful man and I am grateful that I got to share so much of my life with him.
“He is still a gentle, kind-hearted old hippy but the special parts of him that made him unique are slowly fading away. We have all struggled with his move to a care home and the deterioration of his cognitive abilities.
“It’s sad watching him struggle to speak his thoughts aloud, you can see them disappearing as soon as he is preparing to say them.
“We visit him as often as we can, and climb into his delusions with him. It’s kinder to do that, than to tell him he is imagining things.”
The book is written form the perspective of Linzi’s youngest daughter from the age of nine until now, as a teenager.
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“It was building up in my head across a few years as each new change came upon us, or a new challenge presented itself," Linzi revealed. "I kept thinking about all the other families who are also living with this disease, and particularly children and young people. By the time I came to write the book, it was almost fully composed in my head.
“Each year, the girl gets older and the explanations become a little more detailed, as it was in real life for us. As Cora and Olivia got older, we could share some of the darker aspects of the illness with them.”
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Linzi, who lives in Stonehouse, believes that being open and honest with children can help with understanding the tough road ahead.
She continued: “It’s very challenging for everyone, but particularly for people who are the primary carer for someone with dementia. The stress can take a toll, and I would advise other families to support each other and face the challenges as a united front.
“As hard as it is for everyone affected by the diagnosis, it’s much scarier for the person who has dementia and their wellbeing should be central to all decisions being made. Make the most of every second with your loved ones.”
Linzi’s previous book for children, Mummy’s Tummy, was on welcoming a new addition to the family following the birth of her youngest daughter. Again, she is delighted with the end result from publishers Austin Macauley.
She added: “As with my last book, I chose a style and format and detailed what illustrations I wanted on each page. The publishers then used the photographs and descriptions I gave and pulled the images together. The characters are based around my own family, and I’m particularly pleased with how they captured Grant...right down to his cowboy boots.”
You can find out more and order the book from: www.austinmacauley.com/book/grampas-memory
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