A Liverpool man who cares for his mum with dementia uses music to help keep her memory alive.
Gina Shaw from Old Swan, was 61 when she was diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease after she began forgetting things at work.
Gina's son Nat Gavin said his mum, who was working as a paediatric nurse at Alder Hey hospital at the time, took herself to the doctors but her symptoms were initially dismissed as "just part of getting old".
After fighting to get the correct diagnosis, Gina was determined to stay as active as possible and later became the chairman of the Liverpool Service User Reference Forum (SURF), who represent the views of people living with dementia across the city.
However, since the coronavirus crisis swept the country, Gina has been unable to get out to the groups and social events she enjoys which has caused her condition to worsen.
Nat, 39, told the ECHO: "I didn't really expect the initial grieving process and the aftermath of the diagnosis.
"It feels like even though it wasn't a death that you went through a grieving process definitely. That took a few years to get through. It can be a battle but then you realise there's still fun to be had.
"A big part of combating the symptoms of dementia is to keep active which she was doing quite successfully. She was a member of a lot of different groups but it's been difficult with lockdown because a lot of people can't be as active."
Gina, now 69, lives at home with her husband Graham Gavin, 72, who is her full time carer, and her son Nat.
In a bid to help his mum and others living with dementia, Nat decided to set up his own radio station called the Merseyside Dementia Friendly Radio.
The station is aimed at supporting and comforting people living with dementia through music as well as providing self care reminders and information including social groups and services in the Merseyside area.
Nat added: "Just after lockdown started there was Mother's Day and then my mum's birthday.
"I brought a big PA speaker to my mum and dad's front drive and played some rock music for her birthday and I could see it cheered her up no end.
"I saw her being lost in the music for a bit and she stood up and had a bit of a dance."
Nat said he's always had a strong bond with his mum through music since she used to take him to heavy metal concerts during his teenage years.
"We've always listened to music together. It's only really been in the last year that I've really noticed the therapeutic side of listening to music.
"Even just playing some of her favourite songs it can spark a memory of the first time she heard a record and she'll sit singing along to it."
Since it first launched on April 1 last year, Nat said the radio station has had a great response from listeners and he is now keen to grow its reach further and bring more people on board who have been directly affected by dementia.
You can find out more by visiting their website here.
