By Marianne Sciucco, New York, US
We are stunned and saddened at the recent death of our friend and fellow author Wendy Mitchell, who passed on February 22. She was a passionate, dedicated advocate for dementia awareness who left an everlasting mark on dementia world.
Diagnosed with young onset dementia in 2014 at the age of 58, Wendy chose to document her journey on a blog, Which me am I today?, sharing her daily triumphs and troubles, most often with photographs detailing the events of her day, including images of wildlife and landscapes she encountered on her daily “trundles.”
“My blog is my memory,” she once said on our podcast, and counted on it to maintain a daily record of her life, lest she forget. Her most recent – and last – blog post, My Final Hug in a Mug, detailed her final days.
From Yorkshire, England, she was the author of three books with journalist Anna Wharton, (two made the Sunday Times Bestsellers List). An ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society, she traveled throughout the United Kingdom spreading her message of dementia awareness and life after diagnosis.
She was outspoken about her condition and discussed it on social media, specifically Twitter. She once told me, “Twitter is my lifeline,” because it gave her a platform to connect with others worldwide, sharing her story and spreading her message that it’s possible to live a full and productive life with dementia.
She received two honorary doctorates from University of Bradford, (West Yorkshire) and University of Hull (Hull) and appeared on television, in radio, newspapers, magazines and on podcasts and other online events.
Wendy was tireless in her advocacy and an important voice in dementia world. She leaves a lasting legacy through her work, inspiring those living with dementia and dispelling the many myths and misconceptions surrounding a dementia diagnosis.
“Yes,” she wrote in her final blog post, “dementia is a bummer, but oh what a life I’ve had playing games with this adversary of mine to try and stay one step ahead.” She was the epitome of living well with dementia.
Our condolences go out to her daughters, Sarah and Gemma, whom Wendy adored, and to the friends and family she leaves behind.
Wendy was a frequent contributor to AlzAuthors. You can capture her wit and wisdom here:
Podcast
Untangling Young-Onset Alzheimer’s with Wendy Mitchell (11/2/20)
Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Living with Dementia: A Virtual Q&A (7/18/20)
YouTube
Wendy Mitchell Sends a Powerful Message about Living with Dementia in COVID-19 (4/16/20)
Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Dementia… But Were Afraid to Ask, a Virtual Q&A 6/2/21
Posts
Wendy Mitchell Tells Her Dementia Story In Her Own Words (9/30/21)
Wendy Mitchell Writes Courageous Memoir of Younger Onset Dementia: Somebody I Used To Know (5/29/18)
Wendy Mitchell Blogs About Younger Onset Dementia: Which Me Am I Today? (12/12/17)
Website and Blog
Which me am I today? One person’s experience of living with dementia
Books
Somebody I Used to Know (2018)
What I Wish People Knew About Dementia (2022)
One Last Thing: How to Live With the End in Mind (2023)
2 Responses
Marianne,
Thank you for writing this piece. I am one of Wendy Mitchell’s 4,000+ followers and was also stunned by her final hug in a mug. It felt like a death in the family, as her books and blogs have enlightened me so much. Rather than see someone’s losses, see what they can do. I’ll be forever indebted to Wendy for this perspective.
Often inspired by her blog and her photos, I wanted to capture and keep her beautiful words so I used them to write found poetry. I’m sharing them below in tribute to Wendy and her amazing work and her extraordinary photography.
HAIKU
found poem in Wendy Mitchell’s Feb. 1, 2024 blog
Dementia
Must be the weekend
I pondered without effort
what day it was
I heard myself sigh–
Rounds with unwanted house guest
I knew he’d take over
inspired by Wendy Mitchell’s Jan 18 blog
In morning’s half-light
delicate mauve clouds swirl, turn
like a kaleidoscope
racing across morning sky
getting a turn in the limelight
(inspired by Wendy Mitchell’s blog, Dec. 19, 2023)
“Through open curtains
a rock-a-bye-baby moon”
shadows me to dreams
Found Haiku from Wendy Mitchell’s blog Dec. 14, 2023
Sun masked by a cloud
two trees succumbed to stone winds
only thin trunk left
Two found poems from Wendy Mitchell’s Nov, 28, 2023 blog
At the traffic light
with angry black clouds above
the sky was on fire
Single thorny twig
took on a whole new beauty
hawthorne silhouette
Thank you for sharing these lovely poems. Wendy certainly made an impact on anyone who knew her and her story. Marianne Sciucco