Above image courtesy of carehome.co.uk
DEMENTIA
John and his wife Nula met under the most extraordinary circumstances. Both had spouses in care, living with dementia. James moved into a room two doors away from Bonnie. The care home organised a lunch for those with a husband or wife in care, which is so much more difficult to cope with, physically and emotionally, than an elderly parent or grandparent.
Image by photographer Andrew Crowley
Above image courtesy of carehome.co.uk
Above image by photographer Andrew Crowley
DEMENTIA
John and his wife Nula met under the most extraordinary circumstances. Both had spouses in care, living with dementia. James moved into a room two doors away from Bonnie. The care home organised a lunch for those with a husband or wife in care, which is so much more difficult to cope with, physically and emotionally, than an elderly parent or grandparent.
True soul mates
John and Nula found they had so much in common, both going through the trauma of slowly losing the love of their life. They were there for each other when ultimately each had to cope with that dreadful loss.
In 2016 John and Nula married, showing that there can be a happy ending, even to the saddest of circumstances. Both have published books about their experiences.
John and Nula are now ambassadors for Alzheimer’s Society. Nula travels the country giving talks to dementia organisations and carers about her experiences. She is passionate about the need to improve health care for those with dementia, and provide more support for carers.
THE LONGEST FAREWELL
By Nula Suchet
When Nula’s husband James, a British documentary filmmaker, becomes forgetful they put it down to the stress of his work.
His behavior becomes more erratic and inexplicable, and he is eventually diagnosed as suffering from Picks Disease, an early onset and aggressive form of dementia. Suddenly their lives change from comfortable middle-class creatives through inexplicable behaviour, the shock of diagnosis, coping with the ongoing illness, not coping with the illness, to the indignities of care home life.
MY BONNIE
By John Suchet
John’s revelation that his first wife Bonnie, the love of his life, was suffering from Dementia brought an outpouring of sympathy and concern.
His book My Bonnie is a moving and honest account of one man’s love, loneliness and despair.
BEETHOVEN 2020
