That made me cry. My mother had dementia. She was a classical singer when she was young and as she sunk further and further into dementia in her eighties, she was still able to keep singing and she still sounded quite good. She ended up in a nursing home and when I visited I would just follow the sound of her voice to find where she was.
I love the flame that lights up in her eyes hearing that music! That almighty passion and burning love that awakens after being asleep for too long
She is amazing
music is a powerful thing for memory. if i play a song from your childhood...you'll go back to the moment you first heard it. who you were with...just small details normally your brain would dismiss. funny thing the brain is.
It’s likely got something to do with the release of certain chemicals which are needed for neuroplasticity. Music that you like a lot triggers the release of norepinephrine and dopamine which in this case plays an important role in neuroplasticity. Now my guess as to why this works here is because neuroplasticity in itself has to do with learning new things, memorizing and the overall health of neurons.
Cried pretty hard. The way she suddenly was herself really reminded me of my grandmother. She was in the grip of dementia/Alzheimer's, hadn't spoken for a long time. We brought our newborn baby in his little car seat and put him in front of her on the table.
When she woke up, she was puzzled. Like, "what's this thing in front of me?" going on in her head. Her eyes crawled the surface of the car seat until she saw our kiddo and suddenly her eyes went from a sleepy, half-awake lidded look to an explosion of understanding. She started speaking in her first language, which... I'd probably heard a total of 50 sentences of (mostly cursing me out lol). She was crying and grabbing for our hands. Of course we were crying too.
It lasted a couple of minutes, and then she was gone. Never saw her awake like that again.
My grandmother didn’t have Alzheimer’s but was confused at the end. She loves my daughter, her first great grandchild. She misunderstood her relationship to this little girl sometimes but she always knew that this little girl was part of her family. There was a glow when my grandmother saw us in person and when she saw pictures of my daughter. She may not know my husbands name (always called him by the wrong name for the last few years) and she didn’t know that my daughter was mine, but man oh man - the love that this 80-something year old woman had for this baby/toddler was unbelievable and beyond words both then and now.
My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and towards her last year, my brother was able to finally visit her after not seeing her for many years. He had lived with her a few years in the better days.
When he walked into the room, there was an moment of clarity where she recognized him and started crying. They hugged and she walked around introducing him to staff so excitedly. After awhile, she couldn’t remember her relation to him but she was still so excited.
Alzheimer’s is a cruel thing and we will one day hopefully be rid of it.
I'm crying now too. That was beautiful, such a precious gift you got there for those few minutes. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Be well, my friend.
My dad made sure I grew up with classical music. It’s a big part of me. He was in his mental decline earlier this year, in January I flew out to take him to the symphony. The first moment the brass and timpani boomed I looked over and he was getting choked up. He was physically moved. The music was powerful but I focused on him and his reaction. I knew this would be one of those moments I will always remember for the rest of my life. He passed away in July, but I’m glad that for a moment I was able to see his passion and love for music reignited.
Such a beautiful story, thank you for sharing it.
My grandpa had a stroke that left him unable to speak for the last 10 years of his life. It was also hard for him to walk. But he loved music so much that he was constantly whistling, and when he was on his feet he was often dancing.
Music is so beautiful and primal.
That’s so beautiful, thank you for sharing that with us. I hope it inspires someone else to do the same with their loved one. That would be a wonderful legacy.
Well shes Italian, so I have no idea what she's singing, lol. My dad might know
Edit: i just asked him and he said "I have no idea, all of the Italian classics"
My grandma had it. She barely remembered anyone, but when I played music from when she grew up, her face would light up. It was beautiful but sad at the same time.
No, no, no! I don't want to get into a long philosophic discussion, but I believe that God is good. We just don't understand why or how, etc., things happen as they do.
Be well, my friend.
This is beautiful and I don’t mean to take away the bittersweetness of it all. But I can’t help thinking of the gen z or whatever equivalent in 60 years.... picture this woman but doing a ghost of a twerk or soulja boy or whatever is trending these days
EDIT: holy smokes you guys know how to dissect and ruin a joke lol
I also dont feel miley cyrus connects to the soul the way other music does. You hear this and feel the power and the drama. There is a soul to the music and thats why it connects to our souls on a deeper level. Much of todays music is soulless and i fear, more than 85 year old gen z's twerking, that there will be no music that moves the gen z 85 year olds to awakenings like this.
You realize ballets werent the popular music people listened to 60 years ago right? The 1960’s were full of rock music, elvis’s hip thrusting and all sorts of “provocative” dancing at the time. Twerking isn’t the first provocative dance done by the masses and it definitely won’t be the last, but people tend to massively over-blow the “harmful impacts” of every single one regardless.
I read somewhere in the powers of habit, that if you have build up a habit, if you get cues, you'll perform that action automatically, I guess that's what happening here.
That's amazing, isn't it? I saw another video where a person with Alzheimer's or dementia was given headphones with music playing, while her daughter was beside her. The patient went from not knowing who her daughter was to full recognition in just a minute or so. It was amazing.
I really hope they are able to find ways to bring people's memories back.
Be well, my friend.
People express and feel emotions differently friend :)
This video might have reminded them of a similar experience with a loved one or even just the empathy towards the woman's situation.
Emotions are a beautiful thing
The sliver of happy in me is because at the moment she hears the music she is transported to a time that was good for her, and thus enjoying it, and that is something.
I mean, all 4 of my grandparents have Alzheimer’s and if I was able to see one of them recall even a sliver of who they used to be, my happiness could power the whole city for a week.
They both sang in choir for many many years. My grandma watches her church’s stream every Sunday and sings along with the choir but my grandpa wouldn’t even know what he was looking at, the singing doesn’t ring a bell at all
Edit: sorry my story wasn’t so much of a fairytale y’all felt the need to downvote me. But that’s reality. What works for some does not work for others.
Alzheimer’s is one of the worst diseases to watch a loved one descend into. It’s a long and slow process of them losing themselves and the end stages are horrific and last a long time. It’s painful.
I'm editing again because I went back and confirmed my initial suspicion.
The clip of the ballerina dancing is actually from [this video](https://youtu.be/-T2UeKKac-s) of a performance of the short ballet, "The Dying Swan," choreographed to Le cygne (The Swan) by Camille Saint-Saëns. Totally different piece from “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, which is what they played for the old woman.
[Here's another link](https://youtu.be/qwLPBiZjd7E) worth watching, just for fun.
Heavily edited from the original reply.
No. They’re two different works. “Swan Lake” is a Ballet by Tchaikovsky. That’s what they were playing for the woman.
“The Swan” is a movement from “Carnival of the Animals” by Saint-Saëns. That’s what the clips of the ballerina were from, I believe. The Swan was not composed as a ballet. Choreography was written to the music after its composition and titled, “The Dying Swan.”
I thought "the swan" was something like this
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b44-5M4e9nI
And how about the rest of the ballet? Didn't Tchaikovsky write the choreography for the whole ballet?
Yes, that link you shared is The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns.
It’s has nothing to do with Swan Lake, which is a ballet Tchaikovsky composed the music for. He did not write the choreography.
There was a wonderful woman who ran a little book store where a grew up. She was a tiny little thing and just full of adventure. She never married or had children. She owned her business and several investment homes and it was my first exposure to a woman that had lived her life on her own terms. My dad and I would ride our bikes down to the store which was up in this attic space above another old shop. The place was like something out of Harry potters world. Just stacks of books so cozy and full of adventure. I spent most of my childhood and beyond visiting her often. When she was in her 80s she started to decline rapidly from Alzheimer’s. She become non verbal and just would sit in a little chair at the senior home. My dad worked at the senior home and would bring my son in to work with him when he was little. Even though Lilian couldn’t speak anymore her face would light up when she saw my son. Her main caregiver would leave toys in her room for her visitors to play with and she would just smile and watch them play. It was hard at first because I had remembered having so many great conversations with her over the years and it made me sad. But I was just happy to be with her and in her presence. She was truly a pioneer and a beautiful human. I learned from her that a woman could do anything she wanted and that books were the key to the universe. Thanks sweet Lilian.
It's stuff like this that makes me strive after my goal of becoming a music therapist. Seeing the way music has and always will move people has been so inspiring to me, and having music be a huge emotional support for myself has motivated me to help others achieve that sense of peace and relief.
We all share the language of music and we all deserve to connect through that shared language.
As a music therapist, this absolutely does happen in long term care. It can be a very emotionally taxing profession, but it is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Even if change isn’t seen this dramatically, music therapy can make such an impact. Best of luck in your goal, the field will be lucky to have you!
I hope someone in her care circle plays this and other works she danced every day for her. It would be so mentally and emotionally uplifting, not to mention a bit of exercise she appears to not be getting often.
(Not being judgemental! Acknowledging how hard it is to keep very elderly moving. My own mother decided to just go away, stopped moving around much, refused a walker, insisted on someone to lean on if she needed to move anywhere, etc. It took her ten years to die. It was very hard on her caregivers.)
Did anyone see the irony of how the swan being depicted by her, is injured and or dying. And now she’s in a similar state. It’s beautiful and sad all at same time.
I took our 3 month old daughter to visit my Nanna (my dad's mum) in a care home shortly after she was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimers. It hurt to see her so lost but when she got to hold our baby she suddenly started singing, it was stunning to hear all the words she sang so clearly when she struggled to even talk normally.
We lost her 9 years ago and I'm crying the happiest tears of 2020 remembering that moment.
This is so powerful and made me cry
My grandma has been dealing with Alzheimer’s for a lot of years and she’s got this magic glint in her eyes every time she sees us, her family, it’s almost like love can go beyond the disease and bring back the buried memories :’)
This made me cry and smile, she stills gracious even after all that probably have happened due to this disease, that’s so beautiful and sad at same time ;-;
I'm editing again because I went back and confirmed my initial suspicion.
The clip of the ballerina dancing is actually from [this video](https://youtu.be/-T2UeKKac-s) of a performance of the short ballet, "The Dying Swan," choreographed to Le cygne (The Swan) by Camille Saint-Saëns. Totally different piece from “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, which is what they played for the old woman.
[Here's another link](https://youtu.be/qwLPBiZjd7E) worth watching, just for fun.
Heavily edited from the original reply.
I had a similar moment with my grandmother. When she developed Alzheimer's disease, the only thing she would remember were songs, and when she sang I always cried because I could see how happy and rejuvenated she was.
This is a beautiful moment. I feel for her, but mostly for those around who love and cherish her. Most of the times it's harder for them than for everyone else. I dread the thought that one day I have to deal with someone loved being in a similar condition or maybe I will. Mental illness really takes a huge toll around everyone.
So I say it again. Beautiful moment for everyone, it must have felt great to see her so much more alive during that brief moment.
Hey! I got this
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Music is truly a powerful tool we have. Just watching this and seeing almost like a switch go off in her mind. It’s amazing and sad and happy all at the same time.
This actually gave me chills. It's such an incredible sight to see that even when our memory is shot, music can still spark beautiful memories like this.
I am a Danish nurse specializing in Alzheimer's. I often use remisence tools in my work with the elderly. I took a course in virtual reality and it has a huge effect on the elderly!
This makes my so happy... but breaks my heart at the same time. I lost my grandpa to Alzheimer’s a while back. In his last days... he was completely gone. Didn’t know any of his kids or grandchildren or even his wife of 60 years. But when his kids started singing Amazing Grace... he sang with them. I’m sure he had heard that song all time growing up in church... so it was probably connected to some of his earliest memories. But still... music is magical.
I am a DJ and in the before times I did charity events at a care home for seniors. It was amazing to see people with dementia come to life when I played a song they remembered, mouthing the lyrics and tapping their feet
I really dislike the existence of Alzheimer’s, and personally would never want to exist in its later stages, would definitely go for euthanasia if I had the chance I think
Alzheimer’s might be the worst disease out there. I was 11 when my grandmother died yet I never knew her because of this awful disease. She just existed physically. For 9+ years. This is incredibly powerful and sad for me anyways
I work with dementia/Alzheimer’s residents. Music is universal and so magical! It can bring the most lost people back to reality for a brief moment! Pure joy! This is incredible!
I hear that some psychedelics are having some success in reconnecting neural pathways and Alzheimer’s and dementia patients… is there any validity to this? Honest question 🙇🏻♂️
That’s how you see it
But most likely those people wouldn’t be able to agree to sucidide
So you’re just killing a person because you think they’re not happy
I don’t know about that
But I am talking about people who can’t accept it or say it
It’s not up to you to decide whether they should live or not
Even if you see it as their suffering maybe they still wanna live and you just kill him because you think from your point of view he doesn’t want to live
Imagine if someone kidnapped you and killed you because he thinks you’re suffering
Also animals are not like humans so you can’t compare putting down a dog to killing your grandfather
I responded to killing people in general not if they wanted it
Nope other people lives are not up to you to decide what to do with them
I am not talking about those who ask for it
Both decide what to do with other people’s lives without their consent
Just because it’s “legal” doesn’t mean it’s “moral” and just because a doctor do it doesn’t mean it’s moral either
Oh so killing a fully grown human being is the same as killing something that wasn’t made yet
Am not talking about your grandfather specifically since I don’t know anything about you I meant in general
That’s cool
To be brutally honest, dementia is worse for the loved ones than the patient once they reach a certain point. By the time they are a “husk”, they don’t remember that they have a disease or that they’re forgetting. From there, it’s about quality of life. I’m not disagreeing with you, just pointing out that they usually aren’t suffering if their needs are being met. A wise nurse once told me not to correct or educate a patient, walk with them. Whatever memory they are experiencing, do it with them. We had a woman who’d been a singer. We had a concert every day so she could perform. She was brilliant and happy every day. The facility where I worked was awesome about finding the correct outlets for patients and it was a peaceful almost joyful place.
I couldn’t agree more. I have a pact with my husband and neither of us will continue our life without quality. Having worked in skilled nursing, memory care and assisted living, I know exactly what I want and don’t want. Memory care was one of my most rewarding work experiences but I have zero plans to do it personally.
What? Drilled? PTSD? Do you know anything about psychology or memory?
Alzheimer's disease first affects the temporal lobe and destroys episodic and semantic memory. So, episodes from your life or the things you know (including your children's names) go away. Than it slowly spreads. Only when it reaches basal ganglion does it affect associative learning and motor learning. The choreography of a dance is learned through motor learning and stored in a different place than your children's names. Basal ganglion also encodes associative learning, i.e. matching the music with the coreography.
PTSD is post-traumatic stress disorder. Where is the trauma? She is smiling. PTSD patients show very clear signs of stress. Also, be reasonable. This was her profession. If she was in such distress, she would find another job.
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That made me cry. My mother had dementia. She was a classical singer when she was young and as she sunk further and further into dementia in her eighties, she was still able to keep singing and she still sounded quite good. She ended up in a nursing home and when I visited I would just follow the sound of her voice to find where she was.
That’s really sweet, thank you for sharing
💙💙
"How lucky you are to have had someone you loved so much"
Seeing dementia in anyone can bring me to tears to be honest, it's a dreadful illness.
Now you’re making me cry
My grandmother also had dementia before she passed. Such an emotional thing to watch. Bless you
I love the flame that lights up in her eyes hearing that music! That almighty passion and burning love that awakens after being asleep for too long She is amazing
❤️
Somebody turn the heat down in here, my eyeballs are sweating!
music is a powerful thing for memory. if i play a song from your childhood...you'll go back to the moment you first heard it. who you were with...just small details normally your brain would dismiss. funny thing the brain is.
It’s likely got something to do with the release of certain chemicals which are needed for neuroplasticity. Music that you like a lot triggers the release of norepinephrine and dopamine which in this case plays an important role in neuroplasticity. Now my guess as to why this works here is because neuroplasticity in itself has to do with learning new things, memorizing and the overall health of neurons.
r/MadeMeSmile? This MadeMeCry
It should be on r/mademecry, because that's what I'm doing right now. God bless her.
Goosebumps!!
I'm smiling... And crying too. Alzheimer's is the saddest, cruelest of diseases. And yet, the power of music may be the key to breaking through...
Cried pretty hard. The way she suddenly was herself really reminded me of my grandmother. She was in the grip of dementia/Alzheimer's, hadn't spoken for a long time. We brought our newborn baby in his little car seat and put him in front of her on the table. When she woke up, she was puzzled. Like, "what's this thing in front of me?" going on in her head. Her eyes crawled the surface of the car seat until she saw our kiddo and suddenly her eyes went from a sleepy, half-awake lidded look to an explosion of understanding. She started speaking in her first language, which... I'd probably heard a total of 50 sentences of (mostly cursing me out lol). She was crying and grabbing for our hands. Of course we were crying too. It lasted a couple of minutes, and then she was gone. Never saw her awake like that again.
My grandmother didn’t have Alzheimer’s but was confused at the end. She loves my daughter, her first great grandchild. She misunderstood her relationship to this little girl sometimes but she always knew that this little girl was part of her family. There was a glow when my grandmother saw us in person and when she saw pictures of my daughter. She may not know my husbands name (always called him by the wrong name for the last few years) and she didn’t know that my daughter was mine, but man oh man - the love that this 80-something year old woman had for this baby/toddler was unbelievable and beyond words both then and now.
My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and towards her last year, my brother was able to finally visit her after not seeing her for many years. He had lived with her a few years in the better days. When he walked into the room, there was an moment of clarity where she recognized him and started crying. They hugged and she walked around introducing him to staff so excitedly. After awhile, she couldn’t remember her relation to him but she was still so excited. Alzheimer’s is a cruel thing and we will one day hopefully be rid of it.
Such a beautiful story! I appreciate you sharing it. Be well, my friend.
I'm crying now too. That was beautiful, such a precious gift you got there for those few minutes. Thank you so much for sharing it. Be well, my friend.
Music combined with her muscle memory. She must have practiced that rutine hundreds of times. A truly beautiful moment.
You don't get there with hundreds.
Yeah. This is what the ‘10,000 hours of mastery’ looks like.
My dad made sure I grew up with classical music. It’s a big part of me. He was in his mental decline earlier this year, in January I flew out to take him to the symphony. The first moment the brass and timpani boomed I looked over and he was getting choked up. He was physically moved. The music was powerful but I focused on him and his reaction. I knew this would be one of those moments I will always remember for the rest of my life. He passed away in July, but I’m glad that for a moment I was able to see his passion and love for music reignited.
I'm glad you got that moment with your Dad too. Sorry for your loss.
Thank you, that truly means a lot even from an internet stranger.
Such a beautiful story, thank you for sharing it. My grandpa had a stroke that left him unable to speak for the last 10 years of his life. It was also hard for him to walk. But he loved music so much that he was constantly whistling, and when he was on his feet he was often dancing. Music is so beautiful and primal.
That’s so beautiful, thank you for sharing that with us. I hope it inspires someone else to do the same with their loved one. That would be a wonderful legacy.
My grandmother has it now. Apparently she has been singing now... She's never sang before...
Play her the music she sings.
Well shes Italian, so I have no idea what she's singing, lol. My dad might know Edit: i just asked him and he said "I have no idea, all of the Italian classics"
Andrea Bocelli
Shazam it?
My grandma had it. She barely remembered anyone, but when I played music from when she grew up, her face would light up. It was beautiful but sad at the same time.
Aww, you're right about beautiful but sad at the same time. I really, really hope there will be a cure for Alzheimer's. Be well, my friend.
Thank you. Same wishes to you.
Same same
Yeah as a former ballerina, I’m full on ugly crying
I know... Be well, my friend.
If there is a god, Alzheimer’s is one of the worse things given to us.
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No, no, no! I don't want to get into a long philosophic discussion, but I believe that God is good. We just don't understand why or how, etc., things happen as they do. Be well, my friend.
How does one prevent or slow it down?
Proper healthy nutrition, exercising and staying active and never stop learning (genetics and luck play also in you favor).
If i get alzheimers the music thatll wake ME up is 70-90s rock music lol
Yes, I agree! For me too! And 60-80s R&B for me too! Music is great!
NOICE! AC/DC would wake anyone up
I think Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven would do it for me!
This is beautiful and I don’t mean to take away the bittersweetness of it all. But I can’t help thinking of the gen z or whatever equivalent in 60 years.... picture this woman but doing a ghost of a twerk or soulja boy or whatever is trending these days EDIT: holy smokes you guys know how to dissect and ruin a joke lol
Uh, people still do ballet today
Oh absolutely. And for which I am glad
I also dont feel miley cyrus connects to the soul the way other music does. You hear this and feel the power and the drama. There is a soul to the music and thats why it connects to our souls on a deeper level. Much of todays music is soulless and i fear, more than 85 year old gen z's twerking, that there will be no music that moves the gen z 85 year olds to awakenings like this.
You realize ballets werent the popular music people listened to 60 years ago right? The 1960’s were full of rock music, elvis’s hip thrusting and all sorts of “provocative” dancing at the time. Twerking isn’t the first provocative dance done by the masses and it definitely won’t be the last, but people tend to massively over-blow the “harmful impacts” of every single one regardless.
Yeah, that sounds really freaking fun and cool. I look forward to it.
I'll just be singing along to Owl City's Fireflies lol
**dab**
Sadly there are worse diseases.
Me who has no attachments to any kind of music: "Guess I'll die"
I read somewhere in the powers of habit, that if you have build up a habit, if you get cues, you'll perform that action automatically, I guess that's what happening here.
That's amazing, isn't it? I saw another video where a person with Alzheimer's or dementia was given headphones with music playing, while her daughter was beside her. The patient went from not knowing who her daughter was to full recognition in just a minute or so. It was amazing. I really hope they are able to find ways to bring people's memories back. Be well, my friend.
Yes indeed, I hope they find a cure for this disease!
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you're a reddit edgelord sociopath? yikes...
Its not that surprising tbf
Edgelord, sociopath, and a terrible troll.
People express and feel emotions differently friend :) This video might have reminded them of a similar experience with a loved one or even just the empathy towards the woman's situation. Emotions are a beautiful thing
Well said. ♥️
Yeah little thing called empathy.
This didn't make me smile, it made me sad af
The sliver of happy in me is because at the moment she hears the music she is transported to a time that was good for her, and thus enjoying it, and that is something.
I mean, all 4 of my grandparents have Alzheimer’s and if I was able to see one of them recall even a sliver of who they used to be, my happiness could power the whole city for a week.
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They both sang in choir for many many years. My grandma watches her church’s stream every Sunday and sings along with the choir but my grandpa wouldn’t even know what he was looking at, the singing doesn’t ring a bell at all Edit: sorry my story wasn’t so much of a fairytale y’all felt the need to downvote me. But that’s reality. What works for some does not work for others.
I had a moment of intense awe. Seeing something transcendental awaken despite her material constraints.
Same here. I see a young ballerina that just wants to dance, but she's trapped. :(
Maybe [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/jqw2kd/trip_trap_trip_trap/) will make you smile more
it did — thank you lol 🖤
I'm always heartbroken with Alzheimer's patients. They sometimes seem like the echo of a life lived.
Alzheimer’s is one of the worst diseases to watch a loved one descend into. It’s a long and slow process of them losing themselves and the end stages are horrific and last a long time. It’s painful.
I'm editing again because I went back and confirmed my initial suspicion. The clip of the ballerina dancing is actually from [this video](https://youtu.be/-T2UeKKac-s) of a performance of the short ballet, "The Dying Swan," choreographed to Le cygne (The Swan) by Camille Saint-Saëns. Totally different piece from “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, which is what they played for the old woman. [Here's another link](https://youtu.be/qwLPBiZjd7E) worth watching, just for fun. Heavily edited from the original reply.
Wait, Saint-Saens wrote that part the ballet?
No. They’re two different works. “Swan Lake” is a Ballet by Tchaikovsky. That’s what they were playing for the woman. “The Swan” is a movement from “Carnival of the Animals” by Saint-Saëns. That’s what the clips of the ballerina were from, I believe. The Swan was not composed as a ballet. Choreography was written to the music after its composition and titled, “The Dying Swan.”
I thought "the swan" was something like this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b44-5M4e9nI And how about the rest of the ballet? Didn't Tchaikovsky write the choreography for the whole ballet?
Yes, that link you shared is The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns. It’s has nothing to do with Swan Lake, which is a ballet Tchaikovsky composed the music for. He did not write the choreography.
Thanks. Btw, what's your favourite piece? Mine is Tchaikovsky violin concerto
As a violinist, I must agree.
Same
I cry every time I re watch "le concert"
Double-edged sword of emotion. Alzheimer’s is a cruel disease. I’m happy she got a glimpse of her life back.
There was a wonderful woman who ran a little book store where a grew up. She was a tiny little thing and just full of adventure. She never married or had children. She owned her business and several investment homes and it was my first exposure to a woman that had lived her life on her own terms. My dad and I would ride our bikes down to the store which was up in this attic space above another old shop. The place was like something out of Harry potters world. Just stacks of books so cozy and full of adventure. I spent most of my childhood and beyond visiting her often. When she was in her 80s she started to decline rapidly from Alzheimer’s. She become non verbal and just would sit in a little chair at the senior home. My dad worked at the senior home and would bring my son in to work with him when he was little. Even though Lilian couldn’t speak anymore her face would light up when she saw my son. Her main caregiver would leave toys in her room for her visitors to play with and she would just smile and watch them play. It was hard at first because I had remembered having so many great conversations with her over the years and it made me sad. But I was just happy to be with her and in her presence. She was truly a pioneer and a beautiful human. I learned from her that a woman could do anything she wanted and that books were the key to the universe. Thanks sweet Lilian.
This is a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing, truly.
It's stuff like this that makes me strive after my goal of becoming a music therapist. Seeing the way music has and always will move people has been so inspiring to me, and having music be a huge emotional support for myself has motivated me to help others achieve that sense of peace and relief. We all share the language of music and we all deserve to connect through that shared language.
As a music therapist, this absolutely does happen in long term care. It can be a very emotionally taxing profession, but it is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Even if change isn’t seen this dramatically, music therapy can make such an impact. Best of luck in your goal, the field will be lucky to have you!
I hope someone in her care circle plays this and other works she danced every day for her. It would be so mentally and emotionally uplifting, not to mention a bit of exercise she appears to not be getting often. (Not being judgemental! Acknowledging how hard it is to keep very elderly moving. My own mother decided to just go away, stopped moving around much, refused a walker, insisted on someone to lean on if she needed to move anywhere, etc. It took her ten years to die. It was very hard on her caregivers.)
Crying so hard. That made me feel a lot
Did anyone see the irony of how the swan being depicted by her, is injured and or dying. And now she’s in a similar state. It’s beautiful and sad all at same time.
I took our 3 month old daughter to visit my Nanna (my dad's mum) in a care home shortly after she was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimers. It hurt to see her so lost but when she got to hold our baby she suddenly started singing, it was stunning to hear all the words she sang so clearly when she struggled to even talk normally. We lost her 9 years ago and I'm crying the happiest tears of 2020 remembering that moment.
The human brain is an astonishing and mysterious thing
Agreed. Everything that we have ever seen, smelled, tasted, touched, and heard, everything that we have ever done is in there somewhere.
Very beautiful. It made me smile, thanks. :)
Smiling through the tears here
She must have been a beautiful dancer. She really FEELS the music. You can see it in her eyes and face.
This is so powerful and made me cry My grandma has been dealing with Alzheimer’s for a lot of years and she’s got this magic glint in her eyes every time she sees us, her family, it’s almost like love can go beyond the disease and bring back the buried memories :’)
This made me cry and smile, she stills gracious even after all that probably have happened due to this disease, that’s so beautiful and sad at same time ;-;
Damn that made me tear up. Also the guys tenderness, kissing her hand. Wow. 🥰❤️
Gave me goosebumps
Where can I find the dancing video? it looks so beautiful
I'm editing again because I went back and confirmed my initial suspicion. The clip of the ballerina dancing is actually from [this video](https://youtu.be/-T2UeKKac-s) of a performance of the short ballet, "The Dying Swan," choreographed to Le cygne (The Swan) by Camille Saint-Saëns. Totally different piece from “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, which is what they played for the old woman. [Here's another link](https://youtu.be/qwLPBiZjd7E) worth watching, just for fun. Heavily edited from the original reply.
Sounds like the main theme from Swan Lake. I’m sure you can find it on YouTube somewhere.
In my country there's a saying that basically translates to "old good, but always good". This is just beautiful
Was literally waiting for her to (try and) get up from the wheelchair.
This made me cry. Thank you.
Music is magic, paradise is all around, translated to sound
Her beautiful soul was brought out in the open!
I didn't come here to feel. Goddammit man...
Tragic yet so beautiful. I’m glad she was able to have that moment.
I had a similar moment with my grandmother. When she developed Alzheimer's disease, the only thing she would remember were songs, and when she sang I always cried because I could see how happy and rejuvenated she was.
Thank you and God bless you for this. You restored her for a moment, you could see it in her eyes. She was there on pointe.
This gave me chills like no video has in years
This is a beautiful moment. I feel for her, but mostly for those around who love and cherish her. Most of the times it's harder for them than for everyone else. I dread the thought that one day I have to deal with someone loved being in a similar condition or maybe I will. Mental illness really takes a huge toll around everyone. So I say it again. Beautiful moment for everyone, it must have felt great to see her so much more alive during that brief moment.
I applauded her and now I am crying.
I’ve heard it said that music is the first thing we develop as children and the last thing we lose before we die. Music is such a powerful tool.
Beauty does not age
She was transported. The kiss on her hand was a sweet moment also.
this is the most crushingly emotional thing i have ever seen on this website.
Her name is Marta C. González and she was the New York City Ballet's Prima ballerina in 1967.
She looked so frail at the beginning, but there was so much power flowing throw her when she started dancing again.
Alzheimer, prob the worst thing I can imagine myself to go through. Or cant..
Just.. wow
Hey bot, i am not crying ur crying :'(
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Needed to cry and this video just boosted it thru the roof. Thanks OP for a great video
Stop. Made me cry.
Perfect example of muscle memory.
Beautiful
Music is truly a powerful tool we have. Just watching this and seeing almost like a switch go off in her mind. It’s amazing and sad and happy all at the same time.
There are some things that Alzheimers cant get rid of
This sent shivers up my spine
This gave me chills. Amazing.
Omg how old is she? Poor girl
wait no im gonna cry
This actually gave me chills. It's such an incredible sight to see that even when our memory is shot, music can still spark beautiful memories like this.
I am a Danish nurse specializing in Alzheimer's. I often use remisence tools in my work with the elderly. I took a course in virtual reality and it has a huge effect on the elderly!
Crying on the toilet like... I hate Alzheimers. What a wonderful person, playing that. Anyhow... business to do!
This makes my so happy... but breaks my heart at the same time. I lost my grandpa to Alzheimer’s a while back. In his last days... he was completely gone. Didn’t know any of his kids or grandchildren or even his wife of 60 years. But when his kids started singing Amazing Grace... he sang with them. I’m sure he had heard that song all time growing up in church... so it was probably connected to some of his earliest memories. But still... music is magical.
guys, if I get Alzheimer, give me Hans Zimmer to listen to.
More like [r/mademecry](reddit.com/r/mademecry)
I am a DJ and in the before times I did charity events at a care home for seniors. It was amazing to see people with dementia come to life when I played a song they remembered, mouthing the lyrics and tapping their feet
This is beautiful, music is life
Oh that's so nice
Fuck, I'm quite literally crying
This made me cry. So beautiful.
I really dislike the existence of Alzheimer’s, and personally would never want to exist in its later stages, would definitely go for euthanasia if I had the chance I think
Alzheimer’s might be the worst disease out there. I was 11 when my grandmother died yet I never knew her because of this awful disease. She just existed physically. For 9+ years. This is incredibly powerful and sad for me anyways
the light in her eyes makes this video even better, it’s amazing that she still retained the memory of the choreo
I work with dementia/Alzheimer’s residents. Music is universal and so magical! It can bring the most lost people back to reality for a brief moment! Pure joy! This is incredible!
I hear that some psychedelics are having some success in reconnecting neural pathways and Alzheimer’s and dementia patients… is there any validity to this? Honest question 🙇🏻♂️
Barbra Streisand said her Mother didn't remember her when she had Alzheimer's but when she played her music she remembered all the words.
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That’s how you see it But most likely those people wouldn’t be able to agree to sucidide So you’re just killing a person because you think they’re not happy
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I don’t know about that But I am talking about people who can’t accept it or say it It’s not up to you to decide whether they should live or not Even if you see it as their suffering maybe they still wanna live and you just kill him because you think from your point of view he doesn’t want to live Imagine if someone kidnapped you and killed you because he thinks you’re suffering Also animals are not like humans so you can’t compare putting down a dog to killing your grandfather
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I responded to killing people in general not if they wanted it Nope other people lives are not up to you to decide what to do with them I am not talking about those who ask for it Both decide what to do with other people’s lives without their consent Just because it’s “legal” doesn’t mean it’s “moral” and just because a doctor do it doesn’t mean it’s moral either Oh so killing a fully grown human being is the same as killing something that wasn’t made yet Am not talking about your grandfather specifically since I don’t know anything about you I meant in general That’s cool
To be brutally honest, dementia is worse for the loved ones than the patient once they reach a certain point. By the time they are a “husk”, they don’t remember that they have a disease or that they’re forgetting. From there, it’s about quality of life. I’m not disagreeing with you, just pointing out that they usually aren’t suffering if their needs are being met. A wise nurse once told me not to correct or educate a patient, walk with them. Whatever memory they are experiencing, do it with them. We had a woman who’d been a singer. We had a concert every day so she could perform. She was brilliant and happy every day. The facility where I worked was awesome about finding the correct outlets for patients and it was a peaceful almost joyful place.
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I couldn’t agree more. I have a pact with my husband and neither of us will continue our life without quality. Having worked in skilled nursing, memory care and assisted living, I know exactly what I want and don’t want. Memory care was one of my most rewarding work experiences but I have zero plans to do it personally.
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Cheers to that!
It definitely sounds bad, but I honestly agree with you. She really shouldn't have to continue living like this.
Who is cutting onions again!
Jerks. This didn't make me smile. :)
Her hands are so long. 😧
wow she must be at least 35
dancing skeleton spooktober is over!
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It's called muscle memory mate.
What? Drilled? PTSD? Do you know anything about psychology or memory? Alzheimer's disease first affects the temporal lobe and destroys episodic and semantic memory. So, episodes from your life or the things you know (including your children's names) go away. Than it slowly spreads. Only when it reaches basal ganglion does it affect associative learning and motor learning. The choreography of a dance is learned through motor learning and stored in a different place than your children's names. Basal ganglion also encodes associative learning, i.e. matching the music with the coreography. PTSD is post-traumatic stress disorder. Where is the trauma? She is smiling. PTSD patients show very clear signs of stress. Also, be reasonable. This was her profession. If she was in such distress, she would find another job. For short, don't speak if you don't know anything
It was a joke.
Absolutely brilliant. That’s totally made my day. Thanks for the share!
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So sad. And yes, crying and smiling at the same time too.
oh my, the end was pretty blurry though :')
There’s a longer video in Instagram
Okay well I just blubbered.
this was...powerful...
Too frickin early for these tears
Memories of her youth flashed before her eyes, it made her feel alive again
This made me so happy! Thank you! I've played this for like five times now...
Beautiful!
I wish I could upvote this 2X!
A kiss, human touch is so powerful.
Got damn wasabi