Finding Strength: Scott’s Journey

Your donation helps families across Saskatchewan find support, comfort, and connection when they need it most.  

Watch Scott’s family story and give hope today.

I’m Scott Bray and dementia has changed my life and the lives of those I love.

My experience with dementia is threefold. First, I lost my mom, Betty, after a long decline that began in her mid-50s. Then my sister, Cathy, died at only 59 from young-onset frontotemporal dementia. And just four years ago, I lost my wife of 37 years, Carolyn, at the age of 62 to frontotemporal dementia as well. The heartbreak of watching a loved one live with dementia is something my family knows all too well.

Dementia is more than just memory loss; it’s a thief of identity and connection. It steals a person’s ability to communicate, recognize their loved ones and to care for themselves. It can transform a person you know and love, making them seem like a stranger, even while they’re still right there. Families often feel a sense of loss and grief long before their loved one passes away.

I’ll never forget my last evening with Carolyn. It was our 37th wedding anniversary, the day before she passed. Dementia had already taken so much from us, but Carolyn was aware enough that it was somehow a special day. We had a quiet candlelit dinner because we were unable to dine out comfortably anymore.

After I cooked and cleaned up and knew it was time to help Carolyn to bed, I found myself remembering the vibrant woman I had married 37 years earlier. As I helped her up from the table, I asked her for a dance. Even though dementia had affected her balance and speech, we held each other and swayed gently to the music. At that moment she seemed to know who I was and why the moment was special. She died three hours later.

My experience shows, in the most personal way, why investing in dementia research and support for families impacted by dementia is not just important, it is absolutely vital.

My family has been deeply affected, but dementia affects everyone. Dementia is a growing health challenge with the number of people affected expected to more than double in the next 30 years.

Losing my wife at 62 and my sister at 59 shows that this is not just a disease of old age, but one that can affect people in their prime, when they have so much more to give and more life to live.

Through our family’s journey we have felt the devastating impact of how deeply dementia affects both the person living with it and the people who care for them.

Being a caregiver can be exhausting and stressful and can take a toll on health and well-being. The fact is, you’re in for it as a caregiver, and you need the support of others.

That’s why you reach out and donate to the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan–for the supportive care and community. It’s also why research into better treatments and support is essential. Investing in dementia research is not just about finding a cure for future generations; it’s about honoring the lives of those we’ve lost and helping families like mine today. It’s about turning grief and loss into change and action, so fewer families have to endure the same heartbreak.

If you want hope, donate. Every single contribution brings us closer to better care and support, diagnosis, treatment, and one day, a cure.

Call 1-800-263-3367 or make an online donation, today.

Sincerely,

Scott Bray
Care partner and Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan supporter