We recently heard from Dementia Friends Champion Marina Spiteri, who told us how hearing about Dementia Friends' newfound understanding, and willingness to take action after their Sessions really highlights why she loves being a Champion.
“At the end of one Session which I delivered for my museum colleagues, one colleague messaged me privately and thanked me for illuminating something 'probably obvious for most people' but 'huge for her'.
She said that every morning her mum gets up and puts a small bowl of milk down on the kitchen floor. She hadn't had a cat for a long time, but she had had one when she was a child which she'd briefly alluded to in a conversation with her a few weeks before. It suddenly dawned on her that perhaps her mum was doing this not because she simply forgot that she didn't have a cat, but because she was reliving those moments as a child when she'd wake up at the crack of dawn to feed the family cat!
I also delivered a Zoom Session for a Guide group which a couple of my friends run. I was a bit apprehensive as I wasn't sure how they'd respond. I used the slightly adapted Session for them, and I was so thrilled that all of them engaged. My friends said that it sparked lots of conversation after I'd left the call about how we should be inclusive and patient with everyone!
One of the girls in the group has an autistic spectrum condition, and apparently she was particularly determined to take some steps and raise some money for the Alzheimer's Society!”
Huge thanks for sharing these experiences with us Marina, we love hearing about the impact of Sessions and how they change peoples perceptions and inspire conversation!
