We stopped into the Mansion to see how Diane and her Baby Sue are doing after nearly a week together. The answer is that they were doing wonderfully. Red seemed eager to meet the baby, and Diane said she would love to have Red say hello, so I asked him to jump up on the bed, which he did, and then he curled up with the two of them for more than 10 minutes.

Diane, who loves Red almost as much as she loves her new baby, was overjoyed to be cuddling with them both at the same time. “I will always love you, too,” she said, “you need to be loved too.” This is true. Red needs to be loved and knows how to love.

Sue, a “realistic doll” created for older people with memory problems, has had a profound impact on Diane. She is not restless or angry or frustrated any longer, as she says herself in this revealing video, she wants to love and be loved, and the baby has given her a way to love and be loved.

I came into Diane’s room after lunch, she was lying  in bed with the realistic baby doll in her arms. I brought her a comforter and a change of clothes, and she immediately swathed Sue in it. I told her I ordered a bassinet for her and it is coming in a day or so.

She seemed excited to hear it, she can hardly take her eyes off the baby.

This experience has been powerful and revealing, for me and for the staff and certainly for Diane. It has worked beyond our expectations, and it was precisely what Diane needed.I think the bassinet will also be helpful, Diane likes to leave the baby in a safe place when she leaves the room, and she doesn’t quite trust the bed when Sue is alone.

This has been a profoundly satisfying experience, we really have transformed the reality of Diane’s life, she was always so frustrated and anxious and restless. She has a purpose now, a mission, and most importantly something to care for. She can love and be needed at the same time.

Come and See.