Joey Daley started to lose bits of his mother, Molly, when she began experiencing symptoms of dementia. Molly began to appear with blank looks on her face, trying to process what was going on, and these episodes of confusion continued to worsen. Joey noticed little bits of his mother being lost to her disease. In 2015, Molly was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. As a caregiver to his mother, Joey yearned to find support from others going through the same experience. Met with a lack of resources and support online, Daley started Molly’s Movement, a weekly YouTube video series of mother and son, in order to educate and inspire people from all walks of life.
In this heart-breaking youtube series, Daley films interactions with his mother in order to give viewers a better understanding of how dementia can impact someone and their relationships with loved ones. In one of his most popular videos, Joey films an interaction with his mother where she does not remember that he is her son. Daley’s videos have reached over 120 million people since his start in 2017. His videos have allowed caregivers to form a community over shared experiences. In the Facebook page called Molly’s Movement, caregivers from around the world post and communicate with each other—and are able to lean on each other for support. Molly’s Movement has connected millions of people from all around the world in their passion and motivation to find a cure.
Daley said that this movement he created was one of the most rewarding things he has ever done. In an NBC news article, Daley said that he couldn’t watch his mother deteriorate without giving the situation some purpose.
"I had no idea it would touch that many people," Daley said to NBC news.
Like many dementia caregivers, Daley never knew what state of mind his mother would be in during their interactions. He can find his mother smiling and willing to talk, or frightened by the thought that a nightmare was actually happening to her, Daley said to NBC. Other times he found his mother forgot how to do the simplest things, such as brushing her teeth.
“Dementia's like an onion,” Daley said to NBC. “You peel off the layers of the memory on the outer layers until you get to the core, where you’re just a child again. It’s suffering to death."
Daley continued his efforts to support those in need by founding River Walking Sticks, a company that sells custom walking sticks to help the homeless population. Inspired by a homeless U.S. military veteran living in his car, Daley began this effort to help people like him as well as people diagnosed with PTSD. All portion of the proceeds from of walking stick sales are donated to Faith Missions, and the company strives to hire veterans who need work. If you are interested in supporting this initiative please visit their page.
We at National Alzheimer’s Buddies commend Joey’s relentless effort to raise awareness of dementia related diseases, provide support and relief to caregivers, and support those in need in our own communities. Daley’s story reminds us all that caregivers are the invisible patient. National Alzheimer’s Buddies is currently looking at ways our organization can support caregivers and provide respite care.
By Julia Ward and Hajera Naveed
If you would like to share your story with the National Alzheimer’s Buddies for our blog please reach out to us at inquiry@alzbuddies.org.