The sisters published a book documenting the daily life of their grandmother who suffers from dementia – Lianhe Zaobao

After their grandmother was diagnosed with dementia, two sisters, aged 8 and 13, wrote a bilingual children’s book about their time together with their grandmother, hoping to help more people understand dementia and the challenges faced by caregivers. The book was shortlisted for the Silent Heroes Award for “Inspirational Youth”.

Lin Ruiqi (13 years old) told Shin Min Daily News that her grandmother was diagnosed with dementia in 2022 and is currently in a mild stage. Although they do not live together, she sees her grandmother about five days a week, and the grandmother and granddaughter have a close relationship.

Last year, she and her younger sister, Lin Ruixin (8 years old), spent six months preparing and creating a children’s book, “My Grandma Has Dementia,” based on their life experiences and knowledge about dementia. The book records her grandmother’s symptoms before her diagnosis, including putting too much sugar in her soup, forgetting where she was while driving, and even forgetting which floor her family lived on. Lin Ruiqi said that her grandmother is currently using medication to slow down her degeneration, but her condition has not improved; “She forgets what she said five minutes later.”

When asked about her initial motivation for creating the work, Lin Ruiqi said that when she was in elementary school, she heard a classmate mention that her grandmother was experiencing hallucinations. At the time, she thought that the grandmother might have dementia, so she hoped to let more people understand this disease and how to care for patients.

This children’s book is available online, on social media, and at select bookstores, with all proceeds going to charity. Lin Ruiqi also hopes to one day have it displayed in a library.

Influenced by their parents, who are dentists and doctors, the two sisters have been involved in volunteer service since childhood. In 2024, Lin Ruiqi, along with relatives, friends, and neighbors, organized the volunteer team “Smile Squad” to support people with special needs and those who are vulnerable. The team just exhibited their work at Singapore General Hospital on Saturday (September 19th) to promote knowledge about dementia and oral health.

Lin Ruiqi is one of the finalists for this year’s Silent Hero Award for “Inspiring Youth”.

The “Silent Heroes” award was presented by the Civilians Association of Singapore. The award ceremony was held on Saturday evening at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, with Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Tang Zhenhui, as the guest of honor.