Son Transforms House To Bring Back Memories For Mother With Dementia

May 12, 2020 by apost team

Our parents have done a lot in bringing us up, so it's only fitting that we do the same for them once they're older. One Australian man named Jason van Genderen wanted to make Mother's Day extra special for his mom Hendrika, who is 87-years-old and suffers from both Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.

When he was a young boy his parents would take him to the Sydney Aquarium to watch the fishes, and while it wasn't possible to take Hendrika there in person due to the coronavirus crisis, he instead brought the aquarium to their home and surprised his mom in a very special way.

Thankfully, Jason's incredible gesture was captured on video, not only for the rest of the world to enjoy but so that Hendrika could rewatch the moment, as it is likely she wouldn't remember it. Jason begins the video by explaining that this year's Mother's Day would be different since the world is in lockdown and isolation due to coronavirus. But he still wanted to make the day special for his mom and create an experience that she'd love.

He then explains that one of his favorite memories as a child was when his parents would take him to the Sydney Aquarium twice a year, and they'd sit and watch the fishes swim in the tanks all day long. His wish was to take his mom there, but obviously that couldn't happen due to lockdown. So instead, he got creative. Speaking with Newsflare, Jason said: "We thought we'd bring the aquarium home for my elderly mum [sic]!"

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By taping the windows inside the house with white baking paper, he aimed to project videos of fishes onto them from the inside of the house, while Hendrika and the family sat outside. Once it was dark enough, the windows would appear as glowing aquariums to those sitting outside of the house.

It's an incredibly well thought out plan, that's not only creative, but holds such a personal meaning for the family. In describing his plan to the camera at one point, Jason stops to hold back tears, saying that he would just love to see her smile. What a heart-wrenching moment to witness Jason's love for his mother and all that he does for her.

The setup went off without a hitch and come nightfall, Jason went to bring Hendrika outside. Sitting together as a family, Hendrika was given a blanket and glass of bubbles, and they all tuned in to the main event. Once the curtains were raised from inside the house, the glowing video footage of fishes swimming on the windows was revealed to those sitting outside, and everyone was in pure bliss.

Hendrika told Jason that she'd "Never seen anything like it and it's very beautiful." In a bittersweet moment she said he would never forget it, and he added that "Here's hoping we don't."

The next morning, in speaking with Hendrika, it became clear that her memory didn't extend so far as the night before. She couldn't remember what they had witnessed, but with a little prompting from Jason, she understood they'd seen fishes swimming in the windows. The video then ends with a heartwarming message that "Magic lives in you."

What did you think of Jason's touching Mother's Day gift for Hendrika? Let us know down below and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones to show them how much you care.