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Father with Alzheimer's once fluent in Japanese, finds he can remember some phrases again

Alzheimers Japanese father
Posted at 9:43 PM, Mar 16, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-16 21:43:58-04

A father with Alzheimer's disease displayed some remarkable abilities on camera as he was able to recall various common phrases from a complicated language in which he was once fluent.

Instagram user @davmauralsec posts videos of their father, documenting the various challenges and accomplishments he faces every day now.

While he is said to not have been able to remember any Japanese for years, he was able to recall the English translations of various phrases, seemingly without even trying.

The first phrase was how to say "Good morning" in Japanese, and after hearing it he seemed to immediately recall the translation. Then, the same happened for the Japanese phrase meaning "Do you speak English.

The third phrase took a moment of pause, but he was able to remember that it was the Japanese phrase for "I'm sorry."

Then he translated "I don't speak English" faster. Then the phrase for "Is that ok?" came without much effort at all. And the phrase for "I understand, thank you" made him smile.

The moment shows how fluid the disease can be on halting and allowing memory.

His journey with Alzheimer's is documented on the Instagram account @davmauralsec, and there are many more fascinating videos showing the effects of the disease.

View this profile on Instagram

:) (@davmauralsec) • Instagram photos and videos

According to the Alzheimer's Association, the disease affects some 6.5 million Americans who are living with it in their lives. The organization says that it estimates that by 2050 that number is projected to jump to 13 million Americans.