An elderly man suffering from dementia has become an internet sensation after a car sing-a-long with his son.
Ted McDermott, 79, was filmed singing Italian pop song ‘Quando, Quando, Quando’ as his son Simon drove him around playing tracks he could still remember.
Ted was diagnosed with dementia in 2013, but had spent most of his life touring the UK as a singer.
He landed the nickname “The Songaminute Man” due to how many tracks he could remember off by heart.
The same name was also given to their YouTube channel, which Simon started up to help raise money for charity.
Their videos have now helped gather almost £30,000 for the Alzeimer’s Society.
Simon, 40, explained how the idea came about, and how finding this way of keeping his dad happy has helped bring their family closer together.
“We went for a drive one day with the family,” he told BBC 5 Live.
“He was having quite a difficult day, but I had his backing tracks with him and we just put them on.
“And the next minute he was singing along, but like full-on going, so we just ended up spending the whole day driving around singing."
With his condition deteriorating, Ted has sometimes failed to recognise family members.
But, Simon believes the karaoke has had a positive impact.
“With Alzheimer’s people can get quite moody and aggressive, but he just came back really.
“In a way it’s brought me and my mum and dad together because we’ve had a lot of time to re-bond."
You can donate to Simon and Ted’s campaign and watch more of their videos on their Facebook page.
