For Ammi Jan..
Saturday 30th May
My Allah blessed me with the opportunity to spend this Eid ul Adha in Karachi with my beloved Ammi Jan, my paternal grandmother.
But the person I had known and loved all my life was no longer there.
Instead, I saw an elderly lady with a vacant expression — frightened, lonely, and unable to recognise the house she had called home for more than 60 years.
She sat quietly in her chair, trying to make sense of who she was, where she was, and the faces she saw around her every day.
As I walked into her room, I expected to see the face that would always light up the moment I arrived. For as long as I can remember, her eyes would sparkle with joy whenever she saw me. She would always reach for her purse or rummage through her cupboard to find the present she had bought and saved to give to me on my visit...
Instead, I was met with a blank smile she would give a stranger passing by.
She looked at me, trying her best to recognise me, but she couldn't.
I told her my name.
There was nothing...
I am her first grandchild, someone she loved dearly, someone she helped raise, someone whose visits she would always look forward to. Yet in that moment, there was no recognition, no memory, no connection...
As recently as last December, she remembered me. She would ask when I was coming to visit. Now, after making that journey to see her, I realised the grandmother I knew was already slipping away...
The photo on the left was taken in 2018 when she saw me and her face lit up with happiness. The photo on the right was taken this Eid. I am sure you can see the distant gaze in her eyes — the heartbreaking look of someone searching for recognition that hardly comes...
I had never truly witnessed the devastating impact of Alzheimer's disease until I saw it affecting my Ammi jan, someone I love so deeply. Seeing what it has done to Ammi Jan brings me to my knees with sadness, heartbreak, and regret for all the moments that can never be recovered.
But instead of feeling helpless, I want to turn this pain into something positive.
I am taking part in a fundraising walk to support vital Alzheimer's research. My goal is to raise more than £500 to help fund studies of the Alzheimer's brain and contribute towards the development of treatments and, one day, a cure.
If my story has touched you, please consider supporting this cause in any way you can. Together, we can help create a future where fewer families have to watch the people they love disappear before their eyes.
Thank you for your kindness, your support, and your prayers.
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Such a great cause.