Forever Young

My mother made the history books at the ripe age of 99.  The world named a syndrome after her...Attisons syndrome is what they called it.  Like most seniors of her age, she had forgotten her past.  She couldn't remember who she had been married to for over 55 years and she didn't even remember my brother and I.

When her memory problems began, the family chalked it up to be old age or hardening of the arteries.  It was a common ailment in the 20s.  We decided to put mom into a Memory Center where she could receive the treatment that was available to her.  It was a place where memories were not reinforced or even necessary.

It was the summer of 2020 and I remember the day so clearly.   I had been trying to get in touch with my mother all day.  By the time my husband John came home at 6:00 pm I literally grabbed my car keys and pushed him into the car.

"Calm down, I'm sure she is fine.  Maybe she lost her cell phone again. This would make it the third phone that she has lost a phone and I don't relish the thought of buying her a new phone…"

"Stop with the sarcas, I said.  I am really worried. The more I think of it, the more I believe its time to place her in a nursing home; somewhere she will be safe."

John frowned but reminded me that she had too much spunk to go any further than her own front yard.

We finally pulled up to the house and was relieved to find mom sitting on the white painted porch swing that my father had built when they first moved into their modest victorian home.  I ran up the steps, with the intention of scolding her for making me worry about her, but stopped short when she looked right through me...like I was some sort of crazy woman invading her space.

"Hello, she said."  "Are you lost?"  

"Mom, its me, Elaine; your daughter."

"My daughter?  You must be mistaken.  I have no children". "I would certainly know if I had a child."  "Who is that gentleman with you?

"How can you not remember me.  You brought me up in this house."

"Well anyway it was nice to meet you, now just toddle off and let me enjoy these last few hours of daylight."

Tears were running down my eyes as I realized that my own mother did not even recognize me.  I gave her a sweet smile and asked her if we could come back and visit with her the next day.  I proceeded to explain to her that John and I were old friends.

"Well you seem nice enough, so I guess it would not be a problem...yes please do come back.  I love to receive visitors."

When we got back to the house, I went into the kitchen and searched for a brochure that I had picked up from a health fair just a few days before.  There was a picture on the front cover of seniors sitting in a garden smiling and playing cards.  The wording under the picture invited seniors to visit "Moms Memory Center".

I did not want a repeat of the scene from the previous day, so when we returned to the house to see my mother again, we had to reintroduce ourselves and suggested  taking a ride with us and that is how we were able to admit her into Moms Memory Center.

At this point of the story, you would imagine that everything would have worked out fine; we would have left my mother in the center, she would have resigned herself to living in a new place and I would be at peace knowing she would be well tajen care of.  But of course, that was not to be.

When we arrived, we were invited to meet with the director of the center; a doctor in his mid 40s.  His name was Dr. Henry Attison.  Dr. Attison was not only the director of the memory center, but he was the head of Geriatrics in the county.

When Dr. Attison walked into the room  mom perked up immediately and greeted him like she had known him her whole life.

"Well hello, Dr. Attison."  "It is so nice to meet you." Then she turned to me and said, "do you realize who this gentleman is?"  He is the next nobel prize winner for his discovery in a cure for Alzheimers.  

Dr. Attison took a double take at that comment, but quickly resumed his composure as any doctor would do under such circumstances.

"How do you know me, asked Dr. Attison."

"Everyone knows you.  You've been on TV and written up in every newspaper and medical journal.  And please don't pretend that we have never met.  As I recall it was I who helped you gain your fame."

"Well I apologize, I thank you for reminding me. I would be honored to keep on working with you.  I have even persuaded your daughter to have you stay here with us".

"My daughter?  I don't have a daughter.  I've never even been married."

"Isn't this young woman with you, your daughter? "

She turned around, looked at me, and had no recollection of having ever seen me before.  These people, pointing to John and I were in here already.  I thought they were with you. 

 "Well than, before I show you your new room, can you answer a few questions for me?"

"Of course."  You're in charge."

Th"How old ard you?

"99"

"And what year is this"

"That's easy, its 2025."

The doctor took copious notes as he watched the reaction to his questions.  Not one question asked of my mother showed her to be in stress or doubt,  She answered each question as though her answers were that of a clear thinking woman of the present day.

"Who is the current president of the United States?"

"Kamala Harris, she answered".

As the interview proceeded it became more and more evident that my mother was living in the future….five years into the future.  She talked about things that hadn't even taken place as though it were happening in the present day.

"Well, I have no more questions for you today."  Shall I help you get settled in?"

"That suits me well".  "I am getting a little hungry."

As we were walking down a carpeted hallway towards the patient's rooms my mother stopped a middle aged nurse walking towards us and greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hi, Lucy.  Are you going to be reading one of your scary stories tonight?

The badge attached to her wrinkle free uniform, read Lucy Tarantino.

"Why of course; whatever you and the other ladies like, but how did you know that I read scary stories?"

"I know. I know everything.  I wasn't born yesterday "  And wjth that, everyone laughed heartily.

The doctors ran every test that they could to explain my mother's condition.  Every test came back negative.  There were no hemorrhages of the brain and the most astonishing results were the images showing my mother as having the brain of a younger woman.

Five years after admitting my mother to the memory center, Dr. Attison did receive the nobel prize for his work in the field of Alzgeimers disease.

Sadly, to this day she does not know me or anyone in our family, but I visit her every day that I can.  She acknowledges me as the nice lady who visits her every day.