Brenda Madden, 94, sits in an armchair in a care home in Abertillery in south Wales, holding a baby doll that appears to breathe and have a heartbeat. She has advanced dementia and can no longer speak, but looks peaceful as she cradles the doll and bends down to kiss it as if it were one of her own children.
“At first it was a bit of a shock,” says her daughter, Sandra. “It was a bit upsetting because she’s gone back in time to when we were kids.” Her brother Barry agrees but can now see the benefits of doll therapy for his mother. “She’s always loved kids. She’s got four children, 11 grandchildren and four or five great-grandchildren. We can see how much she loves [the doll] and we’ve accepted it.”
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