(1/6) I just watched the "Kelly's mother has Alzheimer's" video again, where her mom recognizes her and they each tell the other how they love one another. Beautiful.
A person remains who they are despite a disease like this.
Our story. My dad had Huntington's, ...

(2/6) a nasty inherited disease that takes away not just memory and intellectual capability, but also the ability to control one's body.
He'd been a very respected educator, a principal and then superintendent from the age of 25. Dignified, quietly loving, generous to a fault.

(3/6) He would never give in to the disease, or admit he'd become "less". Even in the care home, unable to look after himself, he believed he was the same man as ever.
When my mom, Hope, joined him there, it was wonderful for both of them. But, after about 3 years...

(4/6) she had a stroke, and died immediately. Dad was in pain at this, even as he struggled to understand it.
6 months later, we visited, bringing McD burger and fries, always a treat, and he always ate it all up, hand fed bit by bit.

(5/6) This time though, he balked halfway through his fries. This was a first, and we asked him to try again, but he turned his head, and tried to speak. He'd mostly lost his voice years before, but he tried, and eventually we heard him say...

(6/6) "Save some for Hope." He'd forgotten she was gone, but not who he was.
"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Dad died 6 months later, but they remain with us. He was still the Dad we'd always known.