Do you believe in moments of pure magic, even amidst the harshest realities? Picture this: a man lost to Alzheimer’s, suddenly proposing to the love of his life, leaving everyone around in tears. This heartwarming story of my Grandpa Jim is one you won’t forget.
Man sitting on a bench in a park | Source: Pexels
Grandpa Jim has always been the sweetest man. He would tell the best stories, always had a smile on his face, and was the heart of our family. Watching him get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and become forgetful has been incredibly hard for all of us.
It’s heartbreaking to see the man who once knew everything about us struggle to remember our names or where he is. Growing up, Grandpa Jim was my hero. He was a tall, robust man with a booming laugh that could fill a room.
Senior man giving hi five to a friend | Source: Pexels
Every summer, our family would gather around the campfire in the backyard, and grandpa would spin the most enchanting tales. One night, as the fire crackled and the stars twinkled above us, he told us about his adventures traveling across the country in his youth.
“There was this one time,” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief, “I hitchhiked all the way to California just to see the Pacific Ocean. Best decision I ever made, aside from marrying your grandma.”
Grandfather bonding with his grandchildren | Source: Pexels
Grandpa Jim’s stories were always the highlight of our family gatherings. He had a way of bringing the past to life, making us feel like we were right there with him, experiencing every twist and turn.
But those days feel like a lifetime ago now. These days, grandpa is a shadow of his former self. The disease has taken so much from him, from all of us. One evening, I overheard my mom talking to Aunt Linda in the kitchen.
Two women standing in the kitchen | Source: Pexels
“I just don’t know what to do anymore,” she said, her voice breaking. “Sometimes he doesn’t even recognize me. It’s like he’s slipping away, piece by piece.”
“Remember what Dr. Patel said,” Aunt Linda replied gently. “We have to cherish the good days, the moments when he’s still with us, even if they’re fleeting.”
I tried to hold on to those words, but it was hard. I missed the grandpa who would wink at me during dinner and sneak me extra dessert. Now, he often looked at me with vacant eyes, trying to place my face.
Elderly man sitting on the bed | Source: Pexels
A few weeks ago, we decided to throw a BBQ party in our backyard to celebrate grandpa’s birthday. It was a rare warm day in early spring, and we wanted to make it special. Dad fired up the grill, and the smell of burgers and hot dogs filled the air.
Mom set up a long table with grandpa’s favorite dishes, hoping the familiar flavors might spark a memory. As we gathered around, gifting him things and flowers, we all tried to keep the mood light, even though the sadness was palpable.
People eating together | Source: Pexels
My little cousin, Tommy, ran up to grandpa with a handmade card, his eyes bright with excitement. “Happy birthday, grandpa!” he shouted, holding up his masterpiece.
Grandpa Jim smiled, but there was a flicker of confusion in his eyes. “Thank you, young man,” he said, patting Tommy’s head. “And what’s your name?”
Tommy’s face fell, but he quickly recovered. “I’m Tommy, grandpa. Your grandson.”
Young boy sitting on his grandfather’s lap | Source: Pexels
The air was heavy with an unspoken sadness, but we pushed on, determined to make it a day to remember. Grandma Mary, who has been tirelessly taking care of grandpa, emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of food to the backyard. As she stepped out, her eyes met grandpa’s, and for a moment, everything changed.
Grandpa suddenly went quiet. This wasn’t unusual; he often forgot her name too. But this time was different. His eyes seemed to clear, and he picked up the bouquet that he received for his birthday and walked towards grandma.
Senior man giving flowers to his wife | Source: Pexels
Everyone gasped as we watched him get down on one knee. With tears in his eyes and a sincere expression, he said, “You are the most wonderful woman I have ever seen, and I would love for you to be my wife.”
I could see mom’s hands trembling as she brought them to her mouth, tears already streaming down her face. Aunt Linda clutched dad’s arm, her eyes wide in disbelief. The rest of the family fell silent, holding their breaths, watching this unexpected and heartwarming moment unfold.
Happy elderly couple | Source: Pexels
Grandma, who has been so strong and patient throughout his illness, melted in that moment. She softly replied, “Oh, Jim, we have been married for forty years. I am already your wife.”
For a brief second, there was a flicker of confusion on Grandpa Jim’s face, but it quickly passed. “Forty years?” he whispered as if trying to grasp the weight of that number. “Forty years with you, and it still feels like yesterday.”
She knelt beside him, taking his hands in hers. “Yes, my love. Forty beautiful years.”
Elderly couple walking | Source: Pexels
I could feel a lump forming in my throat. This was the grandpa I remembered, the man who adored grandma more than anything in the world. It was like watching a scene from one of his old stories, but this time it was real, and it was happening right in front of us.
Mom stepped forward, her voice shaking. “Dad, do you remember our family vacations? You and mom would always dance on the beach at sunset.”
Couple dancing on the beach | Source: Pexels
Grandpa’s eyes flickered with a distant memory. “Yes, the sunsets,” he murmured, his gaze still locked on grandma. “You always looked so beautiful in that light.”
I remembered those vacations too. Grandpa and grandma dancing barefoot in the sand, completely lost in each other. They seemed invincible back then like their love could withstand anything. And now, even with Alzheimer’s stealing so much from him, that love shone through.
Couple having a romantic moment at the beach | Source: Pexels
Tommy, ever curious and innocent, tugged at my sleeve. “Why is grandpa asking grandma to marry him again?”
I knelt at his level, trying to find the right words. “Sometimes, Tommy, love is so strong that it finds its way back, even when memories fade.”
Grandma wiped a tear from her cheek and kissed grandpa’s forehead. “You always were a charmer, Jim. You swept me off my feet then, and you still do now.”
Elderly man kissing his wife | Source: Pexels
Dad cleared his throat, trying to keep his composure. “Let’s get you both up,” he said gently, helping them stand. “We have a lot of celebrating to do.”
As the family gathered around, enveloping grandpa and grandma in a tight embrace, I felt a sense of warmth and unity. Even in the face of this cruel disease, the love they shared was a beacon of hope for all of us.
Elderly couple on concrete bench taking a selfie | Source: Pexels
Grandpa’s grip on reality might be slipping, but at that moment, he was the man we all remembered: strong, loving, and full of life. And grandma, with her unwavering strength and patience, was the anchor that kept him grounded.
Later that evening, as the sun began to set, we all sat around the table, sharing stories and laughter. Grandpa, sitting beside grandma, seemed more present than he had in a long time. He listened intently, his hand never leaving hers.
Family having a celebration | Source: Pexels
I watched them, feeling a mix of sadness and gratitude. Alzheimer’s might take away his memories, but it could never erase the love that had built our family. That day, we were reminded of the power of that love, and it gave us the strength to face whatever came next.
As I looked at my grandparents, their fingers intertwined, I couldn’t help but think of one of grandpa’s favorite sayings: “True love is like a lighthouse, it doesn’t move, it stands tall, guiding you through the darkest of storms.” At that moment, I understood exactly what he meant.
Elderly couple having a romantic moment | Source: Pexels
First-time mom is stunned when newborn baby lifts her head and crawls across the hospital cot
Three weeks late into this world, Nyilah Daise Tzabari arrived with an expediated plan to make up for lost time and get things done.
Lifting her head and scooting across her cot at only three days, Nyilah, a super baby, is evolving unusually fast, leaving her first-time mom and dad in shock.
Still in the hospital, baby Nyilah was captured on camera, lifting her own head and crawling in her cot.
She was less than three days old.
“The video was taken when Nyilah wasn’t even a full three days old. She was two and a half days old,” said first-time mom, Samantha Mitchell, of White Oak, PA, who added her wonder baby makes her feel like “she’s never had a newborn.”
Speaking with Kennedy News (though New York Post), the 34-year-old mom said, “I’ve babysat most of my life and have over 20 years’ experience with children and I’ve never seen anything like this before.” She continued, “I guess I’ve never been around many babies at three days old so there are a lot of (nuances) in it but I have never seen a baby like this ever.”
In the TikTok video, when Nyilah uses her tiny front arms to prop herself up and crawl, you can hear Samantha’s mom say, “no fricken way,” and Samantha, who sounds gobsmacked, saying “Oh my gosh. Mom! She’s crawling! Mom!…how does that even move?”
Responding to her baby’s cooing, Samantha says, “Well that’s what happens when you spend too much time in mommy’s belly.”
Born to parents Samantha and her fiancé Ofer Tzabari, Nyilah was three weeks late. She entered the world on February 27, 2023 at 7 lbs 6 oz and went viral when Samantha filmed her unexpected movements to prove to her family and friends that her baby was already crawling.
“My mother was the only other person in the room when it happened and she told me to record it,” Samantha said. “No one would have believed me otherwise. My fiancé wasn’t in the room, and I know if I didn’t get it on film, he would not have believed me…(The video shows) the first time I saw her crawl and I was in complete shock…The way she lifted her head too and was babbling left me in complete shock,” she added.
The video, Samantha’s first on TikTok, has 57.5 million views.
Fans were equally surprised about Nyilah’s incredible strength, and jumped in with comments like, “These new babies are different they come out crawling and be walking at 1 month old, talking at 3 months and getting jobs at 2yrs old.”
Another user jokes, “I would run out without the baby,” while one says, “Rumor has it she left on a plane a day later to live life.”
According to Healthline, most babies start to creep or crawl around six to 12 months. “And for many of them, the crawling stage doesn’t last long–once they get a taste of independence, they start pulling up and cruising on the way to walking.”
“Oh momma! you better get home and baby proof! that little is already on the move!!” One user wrote, cautioning Samantha on her quickly developing newborn.
“Sometimes I laugh and just think I wish she could be a baby,” Samantha said.
It seems like Nyilah is on the fast-track to growing up. At only 18 days, she was rolling from her belly to her back, at one month old, she was smiling at her mom, at two months she was rolling from her back to her belly, and at three months, she was slugging her mom with her powerful arms.
In an adorable video posted June 6, Samantha gets a mitten-covered fist to the face and giggling, she says, “Oh you punched mommy.”
In addition to testing out the strength of her arms, Nyilah is already standing with support, and mom predicts it won’t be long until she starts walking.
“Without a doubt, she will start walking soon. She stands at the moment. She puts so much weight on her legs. We’re not trying to make her stand. She just refuses to buckle her knees and sit down,” Samantha said. “She isn’t standing on her own yet, but she stands holding us and is always trying to stand.”
Also, Samantha shares that Nyilah is so strong, that she no longer needs her head and neck supported.
“I’m shocked every day by her. She tries to push herself out of her little chair and bouncer when we put her in it too…She is a very alert baby and has been since she was born. From day one her strength was very shocking to us,” the mom said.
Nyilah is turning out to be very chatty. At seven weeks, she tried to have a conversation, mimicking words spoken by her mom and dad, Ofer.
“We always say I love you to her and she seemed to be trying to repeat it to us and trying to say it. We couldn’t believe it. It is more like babbling but she is definitely trying to copy us,” Samantha said. “If she makes a noise and we laugh, she will keep making the noise because she knows we’ll react. She’s a very clever baby.
Nyilah is also a very happy baby.
“She is such a smiley, happy baby and laughs all the time. The second you smile at her; she starts smiling and laughing back at us. She is such a happy baby and I hope her videos make everyone happy.” Tzabari added, “For me, it was the first time I’ve been with a newborn, and I thought her actions were normal until people began to tell me they weren’t…I thought this was how babies were but actually her actions aren’t average for a baby of her age.”
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