In loving memory of Jean Evelyn Cox

Jean Evelyn Cox passed away peacefully in her sleep at 7am on Saturday 11 July, following a long, hard battle against Dementia.

Jean/Mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a form of Dementia in 2008, just a year after migrating to Australia to be with her family. The disease is caused by parts of the brain shrinking, which affects the structure and function of particular brain areas.

Dementia creeps in like a quiet thief in the night slowly making subtle but significant changes, stealing short term memories at first, causing visual hallucinations, difficulty judging distance and depth and disorientation as she started to wander getting lost a number of times which eventuated in us calling police assistance.

As the disease progressed, Jean became frustrated, moody and at times overtly abusive as she battled to comprehend what was happening to her and why she could no longer recall people, places, names etc.

In the later stages of the disease, Mum went into care and it was here that we watched the disease progress more quickly to rob us of the woman we knew as wife, mother, sister, granny and great grandmother as she lost even her long term memories of family and childhood, mobility following surgery and literally ‘forgetting’ how to walk, the ability to communicate and make meaningful sentences, she dropped a significant amount of weight and ultimately forgot faces, names and those closest to her.

This disease is a bastard, generally sufferers live approximately eight to 10 years from early symptoms to end of life. Mum displayed symptoms back in her mid 60’s – a long time to keep fighting every single day.

So as we farewell Jean, Mum..please do not send flowers, we appreciate the thought. In lieu, we ask that you consider making a donation to Dementia Australia to support those going through this process and towards finding a cure for this truly insidious disease. Any amount however small or large would be most welcome, in loving memory of an inspirational woman.

A message from Mum

You may think that I no longer see you,
that I seem vacant, like there’s nobody there.

But don’t worry I still cherish your visits,
because I know then just how much you care.

You may think that I no longer know you,
that I don’t recognise you or remember your name.

But don’t worry I will always love you,
even if I can’t tell you that my love is the same.

You may think that I’m no longer with you,
that I’ve left you which makes you upset.

But don’t worry I’ll forever watch over you,
and this you must never forget.