When Melissa Chan was 14, her father was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Through the challenging years of taking care of him while juggling her studies and dealing with the struggles of adolescence, she grew up wanting to offer help and support for other young caregivers working with people suffering from dementia. Using her knowledge as a marketing consultant and digital branding strategist, she started a community platform called Project We Forgot.
With their roles reversed, Chan had to parent her dad; but not knowing who to confide in or how to deal with everything, she kept his condition a secret from her friends and teachers.
Ten years later, she penned him a letter, explaining how she wished she had understood his memory loss better, so she could show him more compassion and empathy.
Looking back at her own experience and learning from it, Chan kickstarted the Project We Forgot initiative to connect caregivers going through similar situations and allow them to access resources and receive support. She also regularly gets in touch with institutions in Singapore to raise awareness and help for caregivers in school or the workplace.
Just in time for World Alzheimer’s Month this September, watch Our Better World‘s video of her letter to her dad below.
Reader Interactions