Man Puts His Elderly Mother with Dementia in a Nursing Home, but His Little Son Finds a Way to Bring Her Home – Story of the Day

Isaac and his wife had to place his mother in a nursing home when her condition deteriorated. But their son, Connor, objected and brought his grandmother back, thanks to something she had taught him.

“Grandma can’t go to a nursing home. She belongs here with the family!” Connor cried to his parents after they told him the news. Isaac and his wife, Shannon, were not exactly thrilled about their decision, but it was the best choice right now.

Isaac’s mother, Mrs. Ellie Gordon, had dementia, which had worsened over the years. She was a flight attendant and met Isaac’s father in a romantic meet-cute on a flight. He was a travel photographer, and together they saw the world.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get to enjoy their sunset years together for very long before Isaac’s father died unexpectedly. That’s when Isaac decided to move his mother in with the family. At the time, it worked perfectly.

Shannon had just given birth to Connor, but she didn’t want to give up her law career. “Sweetheart, don’t worry. You can go be the best lawyer in the world while I watch my grandson,” Mrs. Gordon offered.

“Mom, are you sure? That’s a tiring job,” Isaac said worriedly.

“What else am I going to do in this house all day long? I can do it, and Shannon deserves a chance to get her career going. It’s perfect,” Mrs. Gordon insisted.

“Your mother is right, honey. This is the best option. Daycare is so crazy, and he should grow up with family,” Shannon convinced her husband. Isaac finally said yes because it was the best option for everyone involved.

His mother loved Connor and watched him intently. The arrangement worked for them for a long time. As Connor grew up, Mrs. Gordon would tell him all about her travels worldwide, including the trips with her husband.

“What was your favorite place, Grandma?” 5-year-old Connor asked.

“Oh, that one is easy. The Keukenhof Tulip Gardens in Amsterdam was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. I can remember it vividly. That’s also where your grandfather proposed, you know,” Mrs. Gordon started.

She told Connor every exquisite detail about that garden, and that night, the young boy gave her his first painting. “This is for you, Grandma. It’s the gardens,” Connor said, showing her what he had drawn.

“Oh my god, darling. Of course, these are the gardens. It looks exactly like how I remember it,” Mrs. Gordon said, praising her grandson. Although she was humoring him, Connor had a unique talent that would develop with time.

He continued to paint, finding inspiration in her stories, and Mrs. Gordon couldn’t be happier. But everything changed in their household a few years later. There was a special ceremony at Connor’s school, and Mrs. Gordon was supposed to attend, but she never did.

His father and mother picked him up, and they still hadn’t found Mrs. Gordon. That night, the police brought her home. “Mr. Gordon, it looks like your mother got lost on her way to the elementary school,” the officer explained.

They took her to a doctor afterward, and he diagnosed her with dementia. But it was still in its early stages. Mrs. Gordon started receiving treatments and seemed to be fine for the most part. But they were all worried.

Shannon was pregnant again and gave birth to their daughter, Maisy, months after Mrs. Gordon’s initial diagnosis. She took an extended maternity leave because Mrs. Gordon couldn’t take care of her granddaughter as she did with Connor.

One day, Mrs. Gordon left the tea kettle on and forgot all about it, setting a small fire in the kitchen. Luckily, it was minor, and there was no significant damage, but Shannon was worried.

“I’m sorry, Isaac. But we have a baby and a young boy in the house. I can’t watch her all the time. We need to do something,” Shannon told her husband.

“What can we do, Shannon?” Isaac asked her, stumped for any solution.

“We need to hire someone to take care of her,” she suggested.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but right now, we live on one income. That’s not possible,” he replied.

“Well, it’ll have to be a government nursing home then,” Shannon added. “I hate the idea because I love her, but we don’t have many choices.”

“She’s my mother. How can I do that?” Isaac worried. But in the end, he knew it was the only safe and affordable solution. Unfortunately, they had to tell Connor, and the 10-year-old was not happy about it.

“She’s my grandmother. You can’t just send her away!” Connor cried to his parents once more.

“I’m sorry, baby, but right now, we don’t have many options. Your grandma needs to be watched by professionals, and we can’t pay for a private one right now,” Isaac explained to his son.

“I’ll watch her. I’ll help out!” Connor insisted.

“Connor, you’re a kid. You simply can’t. It’s dangerous. We’ll think of other options, but for now, this is what’s going to happen,” Shannon added.

They placed Mrs. Gordon in a lovely home, and everything seemed to go well. But Connor didn’t want to give up. “Dad, can you help me set up an Etsy store?” he asked his father.

“Etsy store? What are you going to sell?” Isaac asked his son.

“I’m going to sell some paintings, the ones that described Grandma’s travels. I think people will buy them,” Connor explained. “If we raise enough money from them, can we bring her home?”

“Oh, Connor. You’re talented, but I don’t know if it will work,” Isaac started, worried that his son would get his hopes up. “But it can’t hurt to try. Let’s do it.”

They set up a store and Facebook page for the paintings. They also uploaded a video message explaining each of the paintings on sale and how Mrs. Gordon’s life inspired them. Surprisingly, people loved it. Their first purchases came from family and friends.

But soon enough, people from all over the country wanted them. “Can we bring Grandma home now, Dad?” Connor asked after selling more than 20 paintings in two months.

Isaac looked proudly at his boy and said, “Yes, we can.” They brought Mrs. Gordon home and hired a private nurse to care for her. Eventually, Shannon returned to work, and they were able to pay for the nurse without Connor’s help.

Meanwhile, Connor continued to draw and sell his art. All that money went into his college fund, as well as a special travel fund. When he grew older, he visited all the places his grandmother talked about, including the famous tulip garden in Amsterdam.

What can we learn from this story?

• You reap what you sow. Mrs. Gordon raised her grandson with so much love that he fought to bring her back home.
• Don’t give up on your family. Money problems force people to place their family in care facilities, and it’s not a wrong choice, as long as you don’t forget them there.

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