When the Phone Ringing Means the End Is Near: My Mother’s Alzheimer’s Journey

I received a call from my mother’s memory care home with news that her health had taken a turn for the worse. Over the past several months she had lost her ability to speak and was now resting on the floor instead of in her bed.

I immediately purchased an airline ticket and will be arriving in Pittsburgh late Sunday evening. For years I have wished she would transition peacefully, no one should suffer as much as my mother has over the last seven years. In October 2017 her late husband was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

After the diagnosis, we watched how advanced and rapid ALS was in stripping his everyday abilities and leaving him helpless. Before a full year had passed, he died. In the end he made the decision to stop IV fluids and essentially starve himself to death. I don’t care what anyone says, it was an extremely brave decision, and he chose to go on his own terms.

As I sit here in the airport terminal typing away, I’m filled with a little relief and an overwhelming amount of sadness. The end of her life seems near. Selfishly, I’m excited to share the finished story of Yabbit the Rabbit with her. I look forward to sitting bedside with her, reading her the story I wrote and showing her the illustrations we’ve created so far.

What We’re Seeing: Signs of Late-Stage Alzheimer’s

The symptoms my mother is experiencing align with what caregivers of late-stage dementia commonly observe. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, individuals in the final stage typically:

• Lose the ability to carry on a conversation. Alzheimer’s Association+1

• Have difficulty walking, sitting up, or swallowing.

• Become bed-bound and need help with almost all daily activities.zheimer's Society+1

• Are highly vulnerable to infections such as pneumonia. Alzheimer's Research UK+1

The UK’s Alzheimer’s Society explains that a person may linger in this late stage for months or even years, but the signs become unmistakable: shrinking speech, loss of ambulatory ability, frailty and weight loss. Alzheimer's Society+1

This is exactly the trajectory we are seeing with my mother. She’s entered a place of near silence, of a body taking over where memory and speech once lived.

Why It Matters: Connecting Our Story to The Rabbit in the Moon

You might wonder how this personal story ties into The Rabbit in the Moon, a children’s book about courage and avoiding the “Yeah, but…” mindset. The connection became clear unexpectedly.

My mother’s decline highlighted how time and memory matter, themes that are woven throughout the character Yabbit the Rabbit and his story The Rabbit in the Moon. By bringing this story to life now, I honor her legacy, and also offer a message to families facing Alzheimer’s or memory-care challenges:

• Memory is precious, and reading stories, looking at illustrations, sharing time matters.

• Time matters even more when memory fades putting off the book, the story, the art: I no longer had the luxury.

• Courage matters, especially for families who watch a loved one fade. Yabbit is a symbol that hesitation doesn’t have to define us.

A Guide for Families: Supporting a Parent in Late-Stage Alzheimer’s

If your loved one is facing what my mother is facing, here are practical approaches backed by care resources:

• Stay present: Even when speech is gone, touch, music, photos and familiar stories matter. The Alzheimer’s Association notes that those in late stage may not speak but can still respond to voice and gesture. Alzheimer’s Association

• Focus on comfort over fixes: Swallowing becomes harder, infections become more likely, provide them dignity in their final moments. Alzheimer's Research UK+1

• Prepare emotionally: Caregivers often feel guilt, grief, relief all at once. It’s okay. The journey is hard. National Institute on Aging

• Read and share: I’ll be reading Yabbit the Rabbit to my mother now. Stories help maintain connection when memory fades.

• Ask for help: Hospice, memory care professionals, support groups can provide guidance at this stage. Alzheimer’s Association

Final Thoughts

Watching my mother decline is one of the hardest things I've faced. The phone call changed everything. Yet it also pointed me toward action. The book we built, the story we told, the time we share, they matter now more than ever.

If you’re reading this and your parent or loved one is starting to drift into silence, don’t wait. Pick up a book, share a page, talk about the moon or the rabbit, or the memory you still hold. The world of Yabbit the Rabbit is just a story, but perhaps it becomes a bridge when memory fades.

If you found comfort in this post or know someone walking this path, please share it. Encourage others to read, to connect, to sit beside their loved ones. Because time matters, love matters, and stories matter too.