Anthropologist and writer Dana Walrath gave a TED Talk on “Comics, Medicine, and Memory.” She shared memories of caring for her mother who suffered through dementia. Her mother derived great enjoyment from reading comics throughout this difficult time period; the “visual-verbal combination makes up for some of the memory loss and lets content stay sophisticated.”
Walrath’s observations ultimately lead her to conclude that comics are highly accessible to those who suffer from dementia. She firmly believes that “by meeting through story, we make peace and we move on. Even if we’re sick or hurt or dying.” That is how she came to pen Aliceheimer’s. We’ve embedded a video showcasing the entire presentation above. What do you think?