The Heartbreaking Loss, Grief, and Bereavement of Alzheimer's Disease

When we asked about how Alzheimer's has affected her children, Wilkins hesitated. "It was very hard," she said. Her mother was always close to her grandchildren. There was never a day when they were apart, but now she feels as though her two children stay away from their grandmother on purpose, like they're fearful. Her kids are two years apart, 5 and 7. Her oldest, she mentions, understands it a lot more than she thinks. When she first explained it to her children, she felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. Sometimes, they ask her questions, some that she could not even answer. But, for right now, Wilkins says, "It's getting a little easier every day."