Mother With Alzheimer's, Daughter Share Moving Moment of Clarity

Mother With Alzheimer's, Daughter Share Moving Moment of Clarity

For a friend or family member, living with and watching someone suffering with Alzheimer’s disease is frequently heartbreaking. But sometimes, when all seems lost, something miraculous happens. 

In a video that has gone viral, Georgia native Kelly Gunderson captured a precious and unpredictable moment while lying in a hospital beside her ailing mother. For a brief moment, the older woman was able to reflect and recognize her loving daughter.

At first, the 87-year-old mother appears to realize that she is next to her daughter in the bed. Gunderson inquires, "Do you think that I would lay here with just anybody?" Her mother, quite able to respond says, "No. I think you want to have to love them if they want to." Gunderson follows up by asking her mother whether she knows who she is. And in an astounding instant, her mother happily replies that she does and responds, "Kelly."

According to Alz.org, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, which is a form of dementia that gets worse over time and affects memory, thinking, and behavior. One out of three senior citizens dies with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia.

Even when all seems dark, there's still a little light that shines, somewhere. Or at least it did for Kelly Gunderson and her beloved mother.