Cousin Jean

Lisa writes: Joseph, held by cousin Hannah Kiera, giving cousin Jean a high-five. We drove up to New Jersey two weeks ago to visit Jean in hospice. She is Tom's father's first cousin and the last of that generation.

That second picture is a little deceiving. Jean looks a lot more conversational in this picture than she really is. She's suffering from dementia. Hannah's mom gave us a heads-up before we came and explained Jean's situation like this:

Jean remains at the lowest possible plateau short of being in a coma. When she is awake, she has lucid conversations and laughs, but remembering requires energy, of which she has little. I have told her you are coming, and have shown her pictures of you, and she may or may not click into a memory when she sees you. She will surely enjoy seeing James and Joseph. Her comfort phrase is "Help me help me. I don't know what to do," When she is not focused, she repeats that, even in her sleep. She's done that for about two years. It doesn't mean she needs help except in the cosmic sense.

She has eaten 500 calories  a day at the absolute maximum for about three weeks, yet continues living, speaking, even shifting (with help) out of bed into a wheelchair. Amazing feat of survival.