Son writes Mother's Day song in honour of mum with Alzheimer's

John Condron has written a song called "Dear Mama" (Chris Austin / DC Thomson)

In fact Linda probably won’t recognise her son — even though she’s only 59.

Linda was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at 54 and now, only five years later, doesn’t know who her children are.

But now the heartbroken 33-year-old is determined to pay a musical tribute to his mum with a moving new song.

The singer-songwriter has written a single for Mother’s Day called Dear Mama and proceeds from the touching ballad will go to Alzheimer’s Scotland.

The lyrics of the song talk about his despair over visiting Linda, who he calls Mama.

The last time John visited her in the nursing home, Linda pushed his attempt at a hug away because she believed he was a stranger.

“When I first went to see her she would give me a big warm hello and say: ‘It’s my boy,’ said John.

“She was happy to see me. Then eventually she wasn’t able to place who I was. That was difficult, but she still recognised me.

“The last time I went I tried to give her a hug and she pushed by me. She didn’t know who I was, I went home and cried.

“I’d feel terrible if I didn’t go to see Mama,” he said. “I don’t want to leave her alone.

“But when I go she doesn’t recognise me, and there’s not a lot of the woman I knew there anymore.

“I come back from the care home after the visit and just cry for a week.

“The lyrics of Dear Mama deal with that — there’s guilt there.”

Tragically, Linda was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s only a few months after her husband and John’s dad died following a battle with lung cancer.

“Looking back, the signs about my mum being ill were there before my dad was ill,” said John. “I was living and working in Oxford and I remember getting a phone call from my uncle.

“He said Mama had been forgetting things, but had just been laughing it off.

“When I was home and dad was in the hospice I found her at the door with her jacket on over her nightie, with a bag packed.

“I asked her where she was going but she couldn’t remember. I managed to get her settled with a cup of tea, but something obviously wasn’t right.”

A month after John’s dad died, doctors gave John and family the bombshell news about Linda’s Alzeimer’s.

“You don’t expect it to happen to someone so young. The death of my dad was heartbreaking for the whole family but for my mum it seemed to really speed up her Alzheimer’s.

“The decline was so fast.”

The video for Dear Mama was filmed by Scottish Bafta-winning director David Newman, and John hopes sales for the song can raise money for thousands in his family’s position.

Linda is now in full time care, and John is honest about her outlook.

“The phone isn’t going to ring with the care home on saying, ‘There’s your mum back,’

“I know she isn’t likely to get better soon. But with the single I hope it raises awareness with people.

“Lots of people have heard the song and said it’s touched them, that’s given me hope.

“You don’t have to be alone, and Alzheimer’s Scotland is there to support you. It helped me and it can help you too.”

Dear Mama is available on iTunes. You can make a donation at https://www.justgiving.com/dearmama

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