Part 1

What's Happening to Grandpa?
by Maria Shriver

Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author Maria Shriver comes a poignant and compassionate story about one family coping with Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.

Kate has always adored her grandpa's storytelling-but lately he's been repeating the same stories again and again. One day, he even forgets Kate's name. Her mother's patient explanations open Kate's eyes to what so many of the elderly must confront: Alzheimer's disease and other forms of memory loss. Determined to support her grandfather, Kate explores ways to help him-and herself-cope by creating a photo album of their times together, memories that will remain in their hearts forever. With special insight derived from her own father's struggle with Alzheimer's, Maria Shriver offers a touching and optimistic story that encourages awareness, acceptance, and dialogue among family and friends.

Part 1

Once upon a time there was a girl named Kate. She was curious, sensitive, and wise beyond her age. Her younger brothers and sister looked up to her and thought she knew the answers to everything. Kate's parents had taught her to celebrate life, be kind to friends, be respectful of teachers, and always, always to stick up for your family.

“Family” was a big deal in Kate's home. In fact, every Sunday Kate and her brothers and sister visited their grandparents. Kate felt lucky to have the grandparents she had. Her grandmother was a lot of fun and very funny. She was the kind of grandma who enjoyed giving tea parties and playing games like Chinese checkers and croquet. In the summer she loved to look for mermaids in the ocean or build sand castles for princesses, and when she went swimming, she always wore a bathing cap with big, bright flowers on it. When Kate took long walks with her, she talked about her “conversations with the angels.” Kate though her grandma was so cool.

As for Grandpa … well, he was a character. He didn't talk to angels-he talked to God. At least that's what he told Kate. He loved baseball, classical music, and eating potato chips-lots and lots of potato chips. Most of all, Grandpa loved to tell all kinds of stories and charmed everyone with his tales about baseball, his life on a submarine, and riding his bike through Europe. As her mom often told Kate, Grandpa was “one of a kind.” To Kate, neither of her grandparents seemed old. In fact, she was sure they thought of themselves as kids. That's one of the reason she loved being with them so much.

One Sunday, while visiting with her grandparents, Kate noted that her grandpa was repeating the same stories. He kept asking the same questions over and over. And when she asked him about his day, he couldn't seem to remember what he'd done. At first Kate didn't think much about it. She knew some older people had trouble reading, some couldn't hear like they once did, and some couldn't even walk very well anymore. So, forgetting a few things didn't seem like a big deal to her.

But one weekend while Kate was making lemonade in the kitchen, she heard her grandpa banging drawers in the hall and complaining that he couldn't find his keys. She watched as her grandma tried to tell Grandpa that he wasn't allowed to drive anymore and that she would drive him to the store. Grandpa threw down his books, yelled, and then turned and slammed the door. This behavior wasn't like Grandpa at all! Kate watched as her grandma stood alone in the hall, put her face in her hands, and began to cry. Kate's mother rushed in, wrapped her arms around Grandma, and held her just as tightly as she held Kate when she cried. Kate quietly turned away and went back to the kitchen to finish her lemonade.

After several more weekend visits with Grandpa, it was clear to Kate that something was wrong with him. She went to her mom and said, “Grandpa keeps repeating himself; he can't seem to remember what he just did. I saw him yell at Grandma, and then this morning he didn't remember my name. Mom,” she said, “what's happening to Grandpa?”

Text Copyright © 2004 by Maria Shriver
Illustrations Copyright © 2004 by Little, Brown and Company and Warner Books

About the Author

Maria Shriver, the first lady of California and one of television's most respected journalists, is the bestselling author of the picture books What's Heaven? and What's Wrong with Timmy? as well as Ten Things I Wish I'd Known-Before I Went Out into the Real World. She, her husband, and their four children live in Santa Monica, California.