St Helens woman’s life with Alzheimer husband is hit book
Added: (Tue Dec 22 2020)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Joan Crank doesn’t have the scientific degrees of some, but she can still rightly call herself an authority on Alzheimer’s disease.
For a decade the 78-year-old from St Helens cared for her husband as he lived with the progressive form of dementia.
During that time Joan thoroughly researched her husband’s condition to find the best methods of slowing down his deterioration.
And all the while the couple lived life to the full - walking the Great Wall of China, cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage, birdwatching in South America and feeding sea eagles in South-east Asia.
Joan’s husband, Dave, died in 2012.
But his widow has continued her work to help others suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Joan has now released her honest and enlightening account of the final years she spent with Dave, Always Look on the Bright Side.
The mum-of-two said: “My husband had this cruel disease for almost ten years, and I learned such a lot in that time.
“Always Look on the Bright Side, as the title says is about living the best life you can with dementia.
“I want the reader to see that life goes on, encourage people to maintain friendships, and with support even make new friends.
“People shouldn’t be afraid of pushing for a diagnosis to obtain medication which won’t cure but may slow it down, and not to be afraid to ask for help.”
Throughout Dave’s 10 years with dementia, Joan kept a daily diary.
With encouragement from a creative writing tutor, the retired children’s ward nurse developed her entries into a compelling and beautifully told story.
Always Look on the Bright Side is a story of hope, humour, happiness and, above all, love.
Joan’s book, which has already reached number one in Amazon’s Ageing chart, has been described by reviewers as being ‘touching and poignant’.
Joanne Hornby from the Carers Trust in St Helens stated: “Always Look on the Bright Side is an inspirational insight into the complexities of the dementia journey … a must read.”
Following her husband’s death Joan has continued to work with groups involved in Alzheimer’s care.
In 2015 she was honoured with a Pride of St Helens award for her fundraising activities.
Joan is currently the co-chair of St Helens Musical Memories charity, and regularly delivers talks on the subjects to organisations around Merseyside.
Profits from the sale of Always Look on the Bright Side will benefit the charities Mind and St Helens Musical Memories.
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Joan Crank, where the paperback and Kindle formats of Always Look on the Bright Side are both available.
Notes to the editor
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Since its launch, the company has assisted in the publication of around 2,000 books in a variety of genres for clients throughout the world.
For more details on PublishNation, visit their website at www.publishnation.co.uk