Daughter Makes Mother with Alzheimer’s Smile When She Reminds Her That She’s Been Married for 40 Years

A woman with Alzheimer's is getting some help from her daughter to remember the important things in life.

In a viral TikTok video shared by creator Molly Bell Deaton in January, her mother, 65-year-old Patti Bell — who suffers from stage 6 Alzheimer's disease — reacts happily after her daughter tells her just how long she's been married to her husband.

"I think y'all been married for 40 years," Bell told her mother in the sweet clip.

"Really?" she responded excitedly. "Oh my gosh, we are. That's awesome. I love it."

In the caption, Bell Deaton shared that the sweet moment took place as she and her mother were waiting for her father in the lobby of her neurologist's office.

"Trying to keep her occupied in conversation," she wrote. "It always turns to Dad. She looks for him constantly. Their love is so special. 🥰."

Commenters on the video — which has garnered more than 2.1 million likes and more than 16.4 million views on TikTok since it was posted two months ago — shared their support and kind words with Bell Deaton, and opened up about their own experiences living with loved ones with Alzheimer's.

"Her sweet, sweet soul shines bright through the dementia ☀️," one TikTok user wrote.

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"My daddy has dementia and pouts if my mother is not around. They've been married 50 years. 😥," another user commented.

"She is a totally different person when Dad isn’t close by. He is definitely her comfort and security 💔," Bell responded in a comment.

According to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, there are seven stages of Alzheimer's, during which dementia and other symptoms become more prominent. Stage six of the disease, which Bell has, consists of severe cognitive decline and moderately severe dementia.

According to the research center, there are different substages within stage six, and patients start to lose the ability to perform "basic activities of daily life," such as picking out their clothes and bathing, and become unable to remember information about day-to-day life, such as the weather or where they live.

Bell Deaton has been candid online about her mother's experience with Alzheimer's. In another viral clip on TikTok, she shared how her mother reacted when she met her newborn grandson for the first time, and immediately wanted to hold him and rock him to sleep.

"Mom met her grandson for the first time today," Bell Deaton wrote in the comments. "She was super confused on the drive, but 'Mamaw mode' kicked in when she saw him. Moments to cherish!"