Mike
- admin1356
- Oct 5, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 4, 2024
“I want people to realise that dementia can happen to anyone, at any age.”
Keeping healthy, active, and providing a positive environment is a driving force for husband-and-wife Mike and Kim. Their journey of living with dementia is one of inspiration and determination despite Kim, aged 62, being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Mike says Kim has always been a positive, bubbly person.
“Kim has always been fun; she interacts with everyone. It felt like everywhere she went people would say she was like a breath of fresh air.”
Often the life of the party, Kim was also held in high regard for her skills and attention to detail. As a personal assistant, she worked with accounting firms and specialist tax teams. Her work included a reasonable level of pressure and stress, but she was dedicated and had a great work ethic and loved going to work.
Mike started to be aware of changes like with her spelling.
“Kim was writing the shopping list, and I noticed she struggled to spell words like banana and apple. And when working on accounts she would muddle up numbers.”
Kim was getting increasingly stressed, and her workplace also noticed that she was not performing as she had for 14 years.
These noticeable changes prompted a visit to the doctor who did a few cognitive tests which confirmed something was wrong.
Mike says the period leading up to Kim’s diagnosis and resignation from the job she loved was challenging and in hindsight could have been managed better. But, for Mike, her health and wellbeing are paramount so when Kim decided to resign, that pressure was gone and the weight lifted from her shoulders.
Mike said, “I think she felt relieved. The fact was we both thought she was having a bit of a breakdown. We thought it was stress. But as it turned out, it wasn't. It was (early) onset dementia.”
Mike recalls that once they had a diagnosis it gave a sense of closure to finally get some answers to what was happening to Kim. He is upfront about the impact Kim’s diagnosis has had on them both and says, there are good and bad days.
“I suppose for me It's frustrating, I can't do anything. I can't help. I can't fix it. And that's what men do; we fix everything as much as we can.”
“That is my biggest struggle and the thing I worry about; I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what I can do besides let it take its course and live each day.”
And that is exactly what Mike and Kim are doing. The couple are doing their bit to raise awareness around dementia by sharing their story and taking part in a new TV series.
Kim features in the second season of The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes where volunteers who are all living with a form of dementia run a high-end restaurant for four weeks.
Mike says for Kim, taking part in the show has been a positive and has made her shine again.
“Previously, she had lost her confidence and her self-esteem and was down and depressed.”
“With the show, her confidence has risen. Her self-esteem is back. She's laughing again. In many ways it feels like things were two years ago.” said Mike.
Through sharing their story Mike has shown courage and commitment to Kim. They have both become important voices for others living with younger onset dementia, and Mike has an important message to share.
“I want people to realise that dementia can happen to anyone, at any age and the numbers are growing significantly.”
YOUR DONATION will HELP US HELP OURSELVES.
Getting help needed is a living challenge for the group behind Young Onset Dementia Collective.
If we wait for Government, Ministry of Health or under-funded agencies, it will be too little too late for our people.
For many the situation is dire. Help is needed NOW so we made a collective conscious decision to do everything we can to help ourselves. Spouses, partners, carers of people living with younger onset dementia have real life reasons driving combined determination.
Help us keep minds engaged and spirits lifted for those affected. Plus support carers in their financial, mental and wellbeing journey.
