The Health Service Center in the Xinyi District of Taipei City holds music therapy sessions for senile elderly persons. Among the patrons, the youngest is Hsieh Hsiu-ying. Each class period, she comes with her husband Lai Chun-hong, who has been on dialysis for many years. Lai, with his frail body, has to make an effort to lead his confused wife, but he patiently brings her along like an elderly child, going out every day and giving workers at the Center a view of truly selfless love.

Hsieh became depressed during her second pregnancy, and Lai says with concern, "When it started, she would complain of migraines at times. But the family didnt think anything of it. After a year went on, she had a stroke, and the nerves in her brain that handle memory and cognition were damaged." Afterwards, Hsiehs memory was permanently frozen where it was when she was 38.

Lai says that many people do not understand dementia. They think that only old people suffer from it. At the beginning of their difficulties, Lai didnt know whether his wife had truly lost her memory or was just faking. Even the boss of the breakfast bar where his wife had worked would often call the house saying that Hsieh had added up a bill wrong, and when Lai saw her sitting there totally unconcerned, eating, yet unable to tell whether she was hungry or full, he finally understood the seriousness of her malady.

Hsieh had been a willowy, slender woman, but after her dementia set in, she could not control her eating and drinking, and she binged. She couldnt distinguish between being hungry and being full – she would eat whatever she saw whenever she saw it, and particularly liked candy and sweets. Any food in the house that wasnt hidden would disappear immediately, devoured by her.

Since he had to go for dialysis three times a week, Lai and his two sons took turns watching Hsieh. During the day, Lai would take care of her, and in the evenings, the boys watched their mother. The whole familys life centered around her.

Lai says that people with dementia are like elderly young children. They cannot channel their energies. Lai got into the habit of taking his wife for a walk in the mountains each day to work off some of her energy, and used food as a lure, telling her, "Well have something to eat on the top of the mountain." After their walk, the pair returns home to eat dinner, and Hsieh goes to sleep. The method is far more effective than taking pills.

Lai has had to rely on government subsidies for many years, and the family of four lives in one tiny room. Recently, because Lai began drawing money from the labor insurance retirement program, his qualifications for low-income housing were cancelled by the Department of Social Work. Since he has been unemployed for a long time, his labor insurance was paid by friends for that time, and the pension he draws leaves him little left after paying his debts.

But Lai is cheerful in the face of all this adversity. He says that he doesnt know how long hell live, but hell definitely spend that time walking hand in hand with his wife.