A 32-year-old man from Sichuan, China left his startup position to become the full-time caregiver for his mother who has severe dementia, leaving her with cognitive abilities similar to a young child.
Zhang Zhi lives with his 58-year-old mother Yuan and documents their daily life on social media, where he has gained over 300,000 followers.
Yuan has frontotemporal dementia, a brain condition that changes personality and behavior dramatically.
She previously worked as an obstetrician who delivered more than 1,000 babies.
Her diagnosis came about ten years ago, and she has since lost all memories of her medical career and can’t recognize familiar people.
This form of dementia causes personality changes, behavior problems, and declining language skills that get worse over time.
Treatments can reduce some symptoms, but frontotemporal dementia has no cure.
Most patients survive between six and ten years after diagnosis.
Zhang left his startup company in October 2021 to care for his mother full-time.
“When I was young, my mother took care of me. Now, I care for her the same way,” Zhang said.
Zhang grew up with his mother after his parents divorced during his childhood.
Yuan’s condition causes incontinence, excessive eating, and unexpected behaviors.
She has taken food from strangers in restaurants, left stores without paying, and once urinated in a hotel hallway.
Zhang has dealt with police several times and has apologized and paid compensation to people affected by his mother’s actions.
In one incident, Yuan needed hospital treatment after secretly consuming a large amount of salt at home.
For safety, Zhang installed an iron gate at their front door and set up cameras throughout their home.
He places reminder notes on the fridge for her daily needs and cuts her food into small pieces to stop her from choking.
Zhang removes dangerous items from their home and uses a wrist link when they go out together.
Since becoming ill, Yuan has developed a strong attachment to white-colored items.
Zhang buys white clothes, tableware, and furniture to satisfy this preference.
The mother and son have traveled to more than twelve cities across China.
“Travel keeps her mind active by exposing her to new experiences. That is what travel is really about,” Zhang explained.
Zhang has decided against marriage to focus completely on caring for his mother.
Previously supported by savings from his business ventures, Zhang now funds their lifestyle through live-streaming.
“Her condition rules out surgery or major treatment. All I can do is give her the best life I possibly can,” he added.
