“I couldn’t find a dementia community, so I created one”

When Michaela’s grandmother, Vanda, was diagnosed with vascular dementia, she dedicated herself to creating a place where dementia wasn’t a taboo subject. It still feels quite strange to talk about my beloved nan, Vanda, in the past tense. She died in January 2025, three years after she was diagnosed with vascular dementia. She was the rock of our family – and my best friend in the world.