National

Thea Saunders’ Personal Experience With Dementia

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Thea Saunders left her dream career to care for her mom whose been inflicted with dementia.

Published

3 months ago

September 21, 2025

Denielle Miller

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A dream job is something you fight to attain for years, and once you have it, you feel on top of the world.

Thea Saunders was living that dream until her mother’s illness took a turn for the worse, leading to her deciding to leave her corporate career to become a caregiver.

Denielle Miller – demiller@cablebahamas.com
“When my cousins and were younger we did a family trip to the aquarium, the photo of us continues to be a staple in our chat group. but the story of thea saunders and her family got me thinking what if someone in my family can no longer remember the laughs, the adventure, the joy of that photo? you see the is a young woman who had to leave behind her dream job to come home and take care of her mother who suffers from dementia.”

Thea Saunders
That’s one of the videos from thea’s social media page. She gives audiences a glimpse into her life, taking care of her mother, who now suffers from dementia.

She says her mum started to act unusually following a mild stroke, then one incident made her realize it was far more serious than strange behavior; it was a symptom of the neurodegenerative disease.

Thea Saunders
“She woke up in the middle of the night, and she was very disoriented and she was extremely frustrated with me over every little thing it was kind of confusing for me as well, and i knew from there this had to be it”

With tears in her eyes, she says she and her family now face a chilling reality, as they watch the woman who once was a caregiver become a shell of her former self.

Thea Saunders
“it’s like you’re watching death in real time and not at the point of them their last breathe it’s almost like you watch a human being dwindle and not in the way of sickness it’s in the blank stares it’s in the referring to something that thea did her daughter did so she may refer to something in the house like oh thea liked those liked those type of stuff but thea’s standing right here”

The ordeal has pushed her to use her platform to bring awareness. She made this plea to all adults with aging parents.

Thea Saunders
“I think we have to pay a little bit more attention to them and dementia is something where it’s truly not their fault they can eat healthy they can exercise but one little thing can cause dementia to be triggered.”

And for those families affected by dementia.

Thea Saunders
“You have to kind of put yourself in their shoes in this entire experience if you are losing all of your facilities you don’t remember anything you don’t even remember the person that’s in front of you your job is to just have patience.”