Once in awhile, Jean will wink at me and smile, and whisper, “I know it’s a doll.” At other times, she worries about the baby’s health and diet and rest.

“She looks hungry,” she told me tonight.

The Mansion aides tell me the baby comfort doll has transformed Jean’s life, she much more focused, alert and busy.

She has work to do that is important to her – taking care of the baby. She is no longer lonely and is less distracted.

The other Mansion residents are sensitive and empathetic to the comfort dolls I have been bringing to the Mansion. They never let on that they know it isn’t a real baby.

There are three comfort dolls in place now, two more on the way.

When Jean walks around the Mansion with her baby – she has not named it yet – the residents talk about how cute the baby is. They go along, because they know how important it is to Jean and the other  residents care for their dolls.

The word that keeps coming to my mind is focus, the women who have received the dolls seem more focused to me.

Several male residents have asked about the dolls, but they back off immediately if I ask them if they want one. They aren’t ready for that.

The aides say Jean, who suffers from memory loss, is never without the doll.  She doesn’t bring her to the dining room because she fears she might spill food on her. Tonight, after Bingo (Jean plays Bingo faithfully), she invited Maria, Red and I come down to her room and see the doll.

We did, Jean was nervous putting the baby too close to Red’s head, but then she leaned over so the baby could kiss Red. He was, of course, the gentlemen that he always is.

And he knew to go along, to sniff the baby gently, but keep a safe distance.

I was deeply impressed by impact these dolls have been having on the Mansion residents. This experiment is such a pleasure for me, and I am grateful to those of you who are supporting this doll project.

I’m sitting down with some of the Mansion aides again next week to see if this is something any of the other residents might like.