Alzheimer's sufferer's memory returns when singing

Alzheimer's sufferer's memory returns when singing

A British son is fighting his father's Alzheimer's disease with music in a series of YouTube videos.

Mac McDermott created a YouTube channel, The Songaminute Man, in which he posts videos of his father singing to songs of his past with impeccable retention.

Their most popular video, with more than 1 million views, features Mr McDermott's father joyously belting out Engelbert Humperdinck's 'Quando Quando Quando' in perfect tune as the pair go for a drive.

Mr McDermott's father was a professional singer throughout his life, known as the Songaminute Man for the high amount of songs he knew.

On a crowdfunding page Mr McDermott launched for the Alzheimer's Society, he says his father's memory has deteriorated over the past few years, in moments not even recognising his son.

He says as the Alzheimer's progressed, his father became more violent, physically and verbally.

Mr McDermott launched the crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society in the UK, saying "without them we would have had very little idea or support about how to deal with even the basics of Dad's condition".

He says in the moments his father sings "he's back in the room".

"It's these moments that we treasure."

Mr McDermott hopes to use the money raised to help fund the work of the Alzheimer's Society, specifically the phone helplines, which he says have been indescribably helpful to him and his family.

The crowdfund has raised almost NZ$200,000, nearly 11,000 percent past its initial goal.

Newshub.