Woman with dementia records hit single after video of her singing with caregiver goes viral
Margaret Mackie is not your average pop star — she did it her way. Mackie has dementia and lives in a senior care facility, but last month, she released her first single, a cover of Frank Sinatra's "My Way."
It all started when she and her caregiver, Jamie Lee Morley, sang the song together at the care home's Christmas party.
On YouTube, Morley wrote that he never thought he'd be able to work at a senior care home because he's such a big "softie."
"But what an amazing few months it has been," his YouTube post continued. "Last night I was asked to sing and host the Christmas party for the residents... and I have never been so emotional on stage my entire time of doing what I love."
Morley, who is also a musician, posted a video from the Christmas party of himself and Margaret singing the song, which holds a special meaning to them. "Every day in work we sing this song together and I do what ever I can to brighten her day and all the other residents," Morley wrote.
"For those close to me will know this was my Grandad's funeral song who our family sadly lost to Alzheimer's last year," he continued. "I've never really sang this song as it's a classic, but I knew how much Margaret and her family would love it." The caregiver said Margaret's family was there for the party, and as expected, they loved her performance.
"For her to get up on stage at her age and have so much courage and fight and sing so beautifully absolutely blew my mind," he wrote. "This is a moment I will never ever forget. Be more like Margaret and live each day to the full and sing your absolute hearts out!"
His post ended with a sweet message: "This video isn't about being pitch perfect but it's about this amazing woman doing what she loves the most, which is singing. I feel so blessed to have been able to get her up to sing with me. A moment in my heart forever."
It appears other people fell in love with Margaret's performance and Morley's sweet post on YouTube, too. The video soon went viral in the U.K.
After that, Morley decided to take the 83-year-old to a recording studio so she could really belt out her favorite song. He filmed their excursion to the studio and released the single and a music video to go with it on December 28.
The 31-year-old never expected his duet with a dementia patient to do so well — but now it is climbing the download charts in the U.K., ahead of artists like Ed Sheeran and James Blunt, according to BBC News.
Not only did Mackie get to become a recording artist in her 80's, her song is also helping others. Morley vowed to donate 100% of the money he makes off the single to a charity: Dementia U.K. & Alzheimer's Society.
The single is available Apple, Amazon and Google Play, according to Morley's YouTube post.
"It's been a very special moment for me and Margaret," Morley told CBS News. "The world needs this type of happy stories with all the bad stuff going on in the world."
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- Frank Sinatra
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
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