My darling wife Annie Ralston is a Librarian by profession and has led a full and active life, working, travelling, and living in Europe, the UK, Canada, Asia, and Africa. We have one son, a daughter-in-law and two granddaughters. Annie’s health was excellent until she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. After two lumpectomies and radiation therapy she made a full recovery. A laminectomy was performed on her lower back in 2018, enabling the nerve sac to be freed and several discs to be packed. Annie again made a full recovery and could walk again without pain. Unfortunately, Annie fell badly on a small flight of stairs in June 2019, fracturing her left hip. During the long emergency operation, she suffered one or more strokes, leading to chronic small blood vessel ischemia, centred on the left temporal lobe. This was clear in scans performed before and after the operation. Three months of rehabilitation followed, at which point Ann could return to driving, gym and “normal life’, albeit with mild cognitive impairment. The latter was initially attributed to the effect of anaesthetics. In 2020 she was diagnosed with dementia. Upon returning to Melbourne in 2021, Annie became a patient of Professor Kwang Lim, a highly respected geriatrician at the Hawthorn East Specialist Centre in Burwood Rd Hawthorn. The dementia diagnosis was confirmed and some deterioration in Ann’s abilities noted. A low dose of Donepezil was prescribed, regular physical activity recommended, while twice weekly Yarra Council social group interactions commenced. In September 2022 Annie was enrolled in the first cohort of the Brain RX program, developed by Professor Lim and colleagues. This involves a combination of physical movement and memory activities, conducted weekly in 30-minute sessions. Cindy Phan is the physiotherapist charged with conducting these sessions, under the overall direction of Professor Lim. The results are quantitative and enable weekly progress to be monitored thoroughly. In 2021, it was expected that Annie might well need to enter care in a year or 15 months’ time. She entered residential care on March 25, 2024. I have no doubt that the Brain RX program, coupled to her other activities, has enabled Annie to spend several more years “at home”, for which I am eternally grateful. I commend Prof Lim and Cindy for their superb efforts.

- Prof John Ralston, Husband of Annie