I’m Your Daughter, Julie: Caring for a Parent with Dementia, won grand prize from Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.  The international competition honors excellence in all types of literature.

According to their site, the grand prize winning book “must be outstanding in content, readability, entertainment value and overall production.”

I’m so thrilled this book, dedicated to my mother who bravely fought Lewy Body dementia, was recognized. My book not only earned this year’s $500 grand prize but also won first place in the aging/senior living, how-to, and self-help/inspirational categories.

This book was written from the depths of my soul during one of the lowest periods of my life.

As I write in the book, “Sometimes you lose a parent in death suddenly. What you don’t realize until you have a parent with dementia is that sometimes you lose a parent excruciatingly – a little bit at a time.”

I’m honored that this book has received several five star reviews on Amazon. Most rewarding of all, caregivers have sent me notes, emails, and messages thanking me for sharing my story. I received even more messages after Next Avenue published an article based on a chapter from the book.

I’m so grateful that my book helped them through a difficult time. Helping other noble unpaid caregivers, the majority of which are family members, was the motivation for writing this book.

If I have helped even a few people cope with the many challenges of caregiving and provided a bit of comfort to those losing their loved one a little bit at a time like I did, then I am fulfilled.