It is with great sadness we bid farewell to our friend Judy M. Judy and her family participated in Doggies for Dementia Foundation photo sessions and so much more. She is even featured in our hero image on this website. There is significant stigma associated with dementia, and it takes courage and vulnerability to share one’s story. In their case, we continued to share their stories as they evolved since 2017.
We become very close to families we photograph who openly share their dementia journey. This is arguably one of the most difficult times of their lives and they do it to honor their loved ones and to help others.
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Our First Family
Judy, her daughter Roxanne and family have been part of our Doggies for Dementia Foundation family for years. In fact, they were the first family highlighted by our program. When I approached them with the idea, Roxanne was delighted to participate. It was a wonderful experience and so nice to see them again.
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Our relationship goes a bit deeper. Their story was originally shared in our book, Just See Me-Sacred Stories from the Other Side of Dementia in 2018 order to help others along the journey. Would you like a signed copy of Just See Me? Just contact us from this website.
We honor their kindness, generosity and vulnerability and share in this family’s grief. Judy was born and raised in a small Texas town and was active in her church since childhood. She and her daughter mean a lot to me and to our program. I first met Roxanne and Judy when I worked as a nurse practitioner. Roxanne asked, “How do other people do this?” She was so honest and vulnerable. I was happy to be able to help as much as I could. when she heard I was planning to leave the practice and write a book, she was happy to share their story in order to help others. I visited and photographed Judy, Roxanne and family on August 18, 2017.
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Rest in Peace, Judy. We love you