[00:07]
My name is Janni, and I’m the daughter of Stefan Eriksson, who lives with Alzheimer’s. My dad has always been very healthy, very athletic. I remember — not just once, but many times — my older brother and I used to sit on my dad’s back while he did push-ups, and it was still super easy for him.
Even though he has Alzheimer’s now, he still has goals in his life, and he still wants to achieve them and continue doing the things he loves — like being outdoors, traveling, experiencing, and seeing new places.
[00:52]
So we decided to take my dad to Kebnekaise — Sweden’s tallest mountain. This wasn’t about reaching the summit of the mountain for my dad. It was more about challenging the fears he had.
The terrain was actually pretty rocky and difficult, but he still had a smile on his face. He tripped on the rocks, but he turned around and said, “Oh, there are so many pretty rocks around here.”
Sometimes, you just need to challenge the way you’re thinking to see the positive things in life — and sometimes, you just need a bit of help and support from the people around you.
[01:48]
Exercise has always been a huge part of my dad’s life. If he gets on a spinning bike, you can see how his eyes light up — they get so clear.
For us, it’s just important to spend time together as a family — having dinner, or just sitting outside in the sun. It could be anything.
My dad is always going to be Dad. He’s always going to be Stefan. Just because he has Alzheimer’s doesn’t mean he’s going to become a totally different person.
[02:22]
He still has his vision, his life, his goals, his hobbies, and the interests he loves. So we always try to encourage him to stay the Stefan that he is.
:quality(90)/)
:quality(90)/)
:quality(90)/)
:quality(90)/)
:quality(90)/)