Former The Campaign Palace copywriter Craig “Moose” Moore is 56, and he lives with Dementia
Creatives often ask how Craig ‘Moose’ Moore is without knowing he has Dementia. This article is written by his long term partner Louise ~ who is a saint ~ to highlight the devastating impact. Above are two pics: one is of Moose and what the article is all about and the other is from when he and creative partner Rocky Ranallo first worked together as a multi-award winning team at The Campaign Palace, Sydney.
This is a fairly unremarkable photo of Craig Moose Moore.
However, you might notice that Moose is wearing two caps: one, his beloved Chicago Bears and the other, a gift from his friend Rocky Ranallo – an attempt to convert him to the Canterbury Bulldogs (no chance).
His sweatshirt is on back to front and inside out.
On an A4 sheet of paper, his name is written in big capital letters: MOOSE. It’s an arts and crafts afternoon – a “crafternoon” – and the residential homemaker patiently encourages him to write his name yet the motor skills don’t kick in. His words are illegible.
Craig “Moose” Moore is 56, and he lives with Dementia. He first showed symptoms over ten years ago.
Moose is an award-winning advertising creative, and not that long ago worked with some of the biggest advertisers, globally, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Clemenger, and The Campaign Palace. He wrote clever ads and was described as a polymath. He tutored at AWARD School when it was not uncommon for graduates to stop him at the airport or in the street to express their gratitude.
Words were his gift to the world.
Outside of his legendary career, he was an ocean swimmer, an Iceberg, a board member, and a surf club “bronzie” with the mighty Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club Basso patrol. He was a joiner-inner in all things in his community. Suffice it to say, Moose didn’t just embrace life, he ran at it.
Moose is also a proud dad, and a loving partner to me.
The first sign things were amiss was confabulation. That meant to the uneducated, myself included, that he distorted the truth to fill gaps in his memory.
Unaware of this sinister condition, our friends, his colleagues and I, got frustrated with the untruths and deception and continually being let down. Why didn’t he turn up when he said he would? He just walked off. And he didn’t seem interested anymore.
Then he started to forget.
He developed excessive thirst.
He became easily distressed.
Now, open water is terrifying to him.
He can’t tie his shoelaces.
He is aphasic.
This experience has been both a privilege and a shit-show at times, but most of all I am comforted that Craig is loved and well cared for.
Soon, in my spare time, I plan to shift my attention to setting up a foundation, or community network in honour of Craig.
I don’t know what that entails just yet, but I know that awareness and starting a conversation are better than staying silent.
He was endlessly proud of my achievements and now I want to continue his legacy since he cannot.
Sadly, the prevalence of dementia in Australia is expected to rise significantly in the next 5-10 years. For anyone already living with dementia either as a carer, family member, partner, sibling, or friend, I know how challenging it can be.
Everyone’s dementia journey is different and if you are experiencing it, you are not alone.