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P&J Investigations

My granny is a time traveller: A comic strip about dementia

We hope this comic strip will help make difficult conversations with children easier. Daniel McGachey and Michael McCosh
Words read My Granny is a Time Traveller: A story about dementia.

This comic strip is a story about dementia.

About a young boy called Jack trying to understand what life is like for his granny living with the condition.

It’s something many families living with dementia struggle with.

Why one day their loved one is fine and the next, they can’t remember their children’s names or where they put their pen.

We hope this story will give those looking after family members with dementia or Alzheimer’s some comfort and help explain what is happening to little ones.

The comic strip was written by Daniel McGachey and illustrated by Michael McCosh.

It was produced as part of an in-depth look at dementia. As part of our investigation our data team discovered the true cost of the disease by analysing 20 years of data. We also spoke to those who are living with dementia to find out what their experience has been like.

A comic illustration of a little boy holding up a photograph of him and his granny. The words read: HIYA! I'M JACK. SEE THIS? THAT'S ME WITH ONE OF MY VERY BEST PALS. YOU'D LOVE HER! HER NAME'S ELLA… THOUGH TO ME SHE'S CALLED GRANNY. A comic illustration of a granny holding a young baby. The words in a speech bubble read: THAT'S IT. BIG SMILE, AND GIVE THE CAMERA A WEE WAVE, JACK. IT'LL BE A HAPPY MEMORY TO LOOK BACK ON WHEN YOU'RE A BIG LADDIE. TAKE THE PHOTO, FRANK. And the words below the image read: GRANNY'S BEEN AROUND ALL MY LIFE, AND A LOT LONGER THAN THAT… THOUGH MAYBE DON'T TELL HER I SAID THAT LAST BIT! A comic illustration of a granny working in the garden and a young boy standing beside her holding a basket. The words in speech bubbles read: YOU KNOW WHAT THESE FLOWERS ARE CALLED, DON'T YOU, JACK? YOU REMEMBER, WE LOOKED THEM UP IN THE BIG PLANT BOOK. The speech bubble from the young boy reads: UM… I KNOW… I THINK… ARE THEY FORGET-ME-NOTS? The words below the image read: AS LONG AS I REMEMBER, SHE ALWAYS TAUGHT ME TO PAY ATTENTION AND ENJOY THE WORLD AROUND ME. A comic illustration of a granny sitting watching TV with a teenage boy. The speech bubble from the granny says: BRAVE BOY, JACK. YOUR DAD LOVED THIS SHOW WHEN HE WAS WEE, TOO. THOSE DAFT DALEKS COULDN'T ZAP THE DOCTOR THEN, AND THEY STILL CAN'T. The words below the image read: SHE CALMED ME DOWN WHEN I GOT SCARED FROM STUFF… NOT THAT I GET SCARED MUCH!A comic illustration of a granny dancing with balloons falling around her and a happy 75th birthday Ella banner above her. The text in the speech bubble from the granny reads: OH, GREAT! I LOVE THIS SONG! I BOUGHT THE SINGLE THE DAY IT CAME OUT. PITY I DIDN'T KEEP MY BEADS AND BOOTS. ON YOUR FEET, YOU LOT! DON'T LET A DODDERY O.A.P. DANCE RINGS ROUND YOU! The words below the image read: SHE SHOWED ME THAT GROWING UP IS NOTHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT… BECAUSE ADULTS ARE JUST KIDS WHO'VE GOT BIGGER.A comic illustration of a granny and a young teenage boy looking at a laptop that has A History of World War II as a headline on the screen. The speech bubble from the granny reads: HA-HA! I'M NOT QUITE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE WAR, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE BACK THEN IF WE PUT OUR MINDS TO IT. The words below the image read: AND SHE TAUGHT ME HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO USE YOUR IMAGINATION AND GIVE IT PLENTY OF EXERCISE! A teenage boy holding a photo album of pictures of his granny. The words below the image read: BUT THIS PAST WEE WHILE, IT'S BEEN DIFFERENT. I MEAN, I KNOW STUFF IS MEANT TO CHANGE FOR ME AS I GET OLDER, BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT GRANNY TO CHANGE. SHE ALREADY IS OLDER!A comic illustration of a young man with his arm around his granny who is pointing at some flowers. The speech bubble from the granny reads: ISN'T THIS A BONNY FLOWER, JACK? FETCH THE BIG PLANT BOOK AND WE CAN LOOK IT UP… The thought bubble from the man reads: EH? YOU SHOWED ME WHAT A FORGET-ME-NOT IS YEARS AGO, GRANNY. The text below the image reads: AT FIRST IT WAS WEE THINGS. SHE'D SAY THINGS SHE'D ALREADY SAID. LIKE SHE'D FORGOTTEN SHE'D SAID THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.A comic illustration of a young man sitting on the couch with a plate on his lap and a granny standing behind the couch looking at him. The speech bubble from the granny reads: OH, LOOK WHO IT IS! HIYA, JACK, LOVE! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE? The thought bubble from the man reads: BUT I'VE BEEN HERE ALL AFTERNOON. YOU MADE ME PIZZA FOR MY LUNCH. The words below the image read: THEN IT WASN'T JUST LITTLE THINGS SHE'D FORGET, IT WAS BIGGER THINGS. LIKE THINGS AS BIG AS ME, WHEN SHE'D FORGET I WAS EVEN THERE.A comic illustration of a granny thinking about a young man with long hair and flares, standing beside another young man. The speech bubble from the granny reads: FRANKIE, YOUR DAD'LL BE BACK FROM WORK SOON, SO IF YOU'VE BEEN GETTING ALL DUSTY ON THAT SKATEBOARD OF YOURS, AWAY AND GET WASHED BEFORE DINNER. The thought bubble from the man reads: HOME FROM WORK? I NEVER EVEN GOT TO MEET MY GRANDAD. I ONLY KNOW WHAT DAD AND GRANNY HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT HIM. The text below the image reads: A COUPLE OF TIMES SHE'S EVEN GOT ME MIXED UP WITH MY DAD WHEN HE WAS MY AGE.A comic illustration of four people standing behind a door with smoke coming out of it. The speech bubble from the granny reads: OH, THE DINNER! I WAS COOKING SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU, AND I MUST HAVE FORGOT I'D PUT IT ON! I MUST BE OVER-TIRED. The speech bubble from the older man reads: OH, FOR GOODNESS' SAKE, MUM! WHAT'S THAT SMOKE? The text below the image reads: AND SOMETIMES SHE HARDLY SEEMS TO BE THERE AT ALL, AS IF HER MIND'S WANDERED OFF SOMEWHERE ELSE!A comic illustration of three people leaving in a car and a granny standing by the road waving bye. The speech bubble from the car driver reads: I'LL LOOK IN DURING THE WEEK, MUM. AND JUST GIVE US A RING IF YOU NEED ANYTHING. ANY TIME. The speech bubble from the passenger reads: COME ON, SON. YOUR GRAN'S JUST NEEDING A REST. IT'S A TIRING JOB TAKING CARE OF A BIG HOUSE ON YOUR OWN. The text below the image reads: MUM AND DAD DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT. BUT I THINK I'VE FIGURED OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING…A comic illustration of a young boy in front of a granny and an older man. The speech bubble from the granny reads: COME ON, BONZO. OUT OF THERE, YOU SILLY POOCH. The speech bubble from the older man reads: MUM, YOU'VE NOT HAD A DOG SINCE I WAS WEE. The text below the image reads: SEE, WHEN SHE STARTS TALKING ABOUT THINGS NONE OF US CAN SEE, IT'S NOT THAT HER THOUGHTS ARE NOT HERE… IT'S THAT THEY'RE NOT NOW!A comic illustration of a granny with swirls coming out of her head and lots of different years like 1970, 2014, 1963. The text below the image reads: BECAUSE INSIDE HER OWN HEAD, IN HER OWN THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES, MY GRANNY IS TIME-TRAVELLING!A comic illustration of a granny daydreaming about herself when she was younger with a dog. And a young boy throwing a stick. The speech bubble from the granny reads: BONZO! THERE YOU ARE, YOU DOZY DOG! YOU HAD ME WORRIED, THERE! The text below the image reads: THAT'S WHY SHE SOMETIMES FORGETS WHAT SHE'S JUST DONE. DO YOU GET IT? A comic illustration of a man and a woman from the 70s era dancing. The speech bubble from the young woman reads: THESE BEADS ARE TOTALLY GEAR, BUT THE BOOTS'LL HAVE TO GO! THESE HEELS ARE MURDER TO BOOGIE IN! The text below the image reads: BECAUSE WHERE SHE IS — I MEAN WHEN SHE IS — SHE'S DOING THINGS SHE DID YEARS, OR EVEN DECADES AGO! A comic illustration of a woman cuddling a young boy and another young boy standing behind the couch. The speech bubble from the woman reads: DON'T BE SCARED, FRANKIE. I WATCHED THIS SHOW BACK WHEN IT STARTED AND THOSE DEADLY DUSTBINS NEVER ZAP THE DOCTOR! The text above the image reads: AND WHEN SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO I AM, IT'S NOT BECAUSE SHE'S FORGOTTEN ME. IT'S ONLY BECAUSE SHE'S TRAVELLED BACK TO A TIME BEFORE I WAS EVEN BORN. A comic illustration of a granny and a young man standing beside each other. The speech bubble from the granny reads: YOU KNOW WHAT MEMORIES ARE, JACK? MEMORIES ARE LIKE POINTS ON A MAP THAT SHOWS YOU EVERYWHERE YOU'VE BEEN IN YOUR LIFE. The text above the image reads: I JUST HAD TO USE MY IMAGINATION TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I THINK IT MUST BE LIKE FOR HER. BECAUSE SHE ONCE TOLD ME THIS THING…A black and white comic illustration of a young girl standing beside a clock. The speech bubble from the girl reads: ARE MY MUM AND DAD HERE? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS, BUT IT MIGHT BE LATE, SO I DON'T WANT THEM TO THINK I'VE WANDERED AWAY. HELLO? The text below the image reads: IT'S JUST THAT SOMETIMES SHE TRAVELS BACK TOO FAR, AND IT CAN TAKE HER LONGER TO FIND HER OWN WAY BACK.A comic illustration of a man standing comforting a granny. The speech bubble from the granny reads: I NEED TO GET BACK HOME. BECAUSE MY MUM'S A REAL WORRIER. SHE'LL WEAR OUT THE CARPET PACING. AND SHE LOVES THAT CARPET. The speech bubble from the man reads: WELL, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY. YOU ARE HOME, MUM. DON'T YOU RECOGNISE IT? The text below the image reads: SINCE SHE'S MADE SO MANY MEMORIES DURING HER LIFE, HER MIND MUST BE AN EASY PLACE TO GET LOST IN. A comic illustration of a granny sitting on the couch and a young man comforting her. The text below the image reads: SHE'S JUST LIKE A CHILD SOMETIMES, SO NOW IT'S MY TURN TO CALM HER WHEN SHE GETS SCARED, JUST LIKE SHE DID FOR ME WHEN I WAS WEE.A comic illustration of a granny being comforted by a young man sitting on the couch with a man and a woman standing watching them. The speech bubble from the young man reads: YOU'RE NOT SILLY, GRAN. AND FRANKIE'S REALLY DEAD PROUD OF YOU. The speech bubble from the man reads: WELL, I'M PROUD OF HIM TOO. HE'S A GOOD SON. AND HE'S A GOOD DAD TO MY WEE… JACK? OH, LOOK WHO IT IS! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE? The text below the image reads: IT'S NOT GOOD TO CORRECT HER WHEN SHE GETS A WEE BIT STUCK. IT ONLY AGITATES HER, AND THAT MAKES IT TRICKIER TO FIND HER WAY BACK TO NOW. A comic illustration of two people looking at a photo album. The speech bubble from the granny reads: OH, MY, WHAT WAS I WEARING THEN? I MEAN, I WAS TURNING THIRTY, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. WERE YOU THERE? TSK! NO, HOW COULD YOU HAVE BEEN? UNLESS YOU'RE ONLY KIDDING ON YOU'RE 12! The text below the image reads: IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK, BUT TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT MADE HER HAPPY IS SOMETIMES THE BEST WAY TO HELP HER GET ON THE PATH BACK TO THE PRESENT. OLD PHOTOS HELP REMIND HER. OR MUSIC…A comic illustration of a nurse helping a granny as she sits and eats soup. The speech bubble from the nurse reads: I'VE PUT THAT CD ON FOR YOU, ELLA, SEEING AS YOU LIKE TO SIT AND LISTEN TO YOUR OLD FAVOURITES. THIS ONE'S BANGING! I FEEL LIKE DANCING MYSELF The speech bubble from the granny reads: SIT AND LISTEN? IF I KNEW WHERE I'D LEFT MY BOOTS, I'D BE UP ON THAT COFFEE TABLE TO SHOW YOU SOME PROPER DANCING, MY GIRL. The text below the image reads: WE VISIT EVEN MORE, NOW, AND SINCE THE DOCTOR TOLD HER GRANNY SHE HAD DEMENTIA, THERE'S A REALLY FRIENDLY CARER CALLED DEBBIE WHO CHECKS IN ON HER TOO.A comic illustration of a granny walking through the park with her family and younger versions of the people faded out beside them. The speech bubble from the granny reads: OH, I'VE ALWAYS LOVED THIS PARK. IT'S HARDLY CHANGED A BIT SINCE I WAS A WEE LASSIE. The text below the image reads: AND WE MAKE SURE TO KEEP HER ACTIVE SO SHE CAN STILL TAKE ENJOY THE WORLD AROUND US.A comic illustration of a photo on a mobile phone. The text below the image reads: AND THE TRAIL ON THE MEMORY MAP JUST GETS LONGER, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO KEEP MAKING MORE MEMORIES EVERY TIME ME AND MY BEST PAL GET TOGETHER, FOR AS LONG AS WE'RE ABLE. A comic illustration of the granny and the young man sitting holding hands. The text below the image reads: AND WHEN I SIT AND REALLY LISTEN TO MY GRANNY TALKING ABOUT ALL THE THINGS SHE'S DONE, THE PLACES SHE'S BEEN, AND THE PEOPLE SHE'S MET, WITH JUST A WEE BIT OF IMAGINATION, I CAN TIME TRAVEL WITH HER JUST SO SHE'S NOT ON HER OWN

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