If she traces it back, it was Thrisha Sukesh’s grandfather and his dementia diagnosis that began her journey.
That diagnosis as she was starting high school and the difficulties it caused the family, led her to step outside her comfort zone and take nearly 100 classmates on the journey as well. The Trinity Valley School junior hopes the rest of the city will follow.
As a member of the Fort Worth Trailblazers chapter of the National Charity League, Sukesh received a $400 grant as a freshman to help individuals with dementia. It was an area that interested her as she had seen firsthand the impact of dementia on her family.
“This work is deeply personal to me,” she said. “My grandfather lives with dementia and I’ve seen the challenges it creates, not just for him, but for my whole family.”
There are a lot of little things many people don’t think about, she said.
“Living through everyday life becomes harder when the world around you doesn’t understand the barriers you face, ” Sukesh said. “What should be simple, like going out with family or getting a haircut, can become overwhelming.”
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With her grant, she initially brought flowers and cookies and visited with many of the residents of the James L. West Center for Dementia Care in Fort Worth.
“Just having someone sit and converse with them helped them realize they were valued,” she said. “Making them feel special gave me more fulfillment than I could ever have imagined.”
Her relentless dedication to those facing dementia has earned her the recognition of 52 Faces of Community, Fort Worth Report’s weekly series on unsung heroes making a difference in Tarrant County.
When her initial grant money ran out, Sukesh continued to volunteer with the James L. West Center.
And she expanded what she was doing there.
Welcome to 52 Faces
52 Faces of Community is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting local unsung heroes. It is sponsored by Central Market, H-E-B and JPS Health Network.
At the end of the year, these rarely recognized heroes will gather for a luncheon where the Report will announce one honoree to represent Tarrant County at the Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C.
She met with Tia Viera, the James L. West bilingual educator, about interacting with Spanish-speaking residents, which has further elevated her impact. Her near-fluency and Viera’s insights helped her interact more effectively with those for whom English was not a first language.
In her sophomore year, Sukesh started a dementia awareness club at Trinity Valley, recruiting more than 50 members. Now, in her junior year, she expects to have over 100 recruits.
Hearing the music
Initially, her school club made Halloween bracelets and Thanksgiving centerpieces for the residents. The students handmade and wrote greeting cards, delivered flowers and visited with the residents.
Sukesh and her club also used their musical skills to interact with the West center community. She recalled playing a piece for several residents, one of Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies, and noticed one woman working her fingers as if she was playing the piano.
“When we got up, she came and sat down and played a bunch of pieces for us, no music, just pure memory,” Sukesh said. “She knew her way around the keys very well. That was just another bonding moment where I could see that she saw other kids are interested in her passion, made her want to share her passion as well. That was another really important experience for me.”
Valynda King, director of life enrichment at the West center, said Sukesh’s work has uplifted the experience of their residents and of the center’s employees as well.
Thrisha Sukesh being honored at the Fort Worth City Council meeting on Sept. 16. (Courtesy photos | James L. West Center)
Thrisha Sukesh’s recognition at Fort Worth City Council on Sept. 16. (Courtesy photo | James L. West Center)
Thrisha Sukesh, right, with Gail Snider of Dementia Friendly Fort Worth at city hall. (Courtesy photo | James L. West Center)
“Everyone was surprised to see this smiling face and bundle of energy walk through the doors and spread such joy. It was amazing,” she said.
Cheryl Harding, James L. West president and CEO, hopes to use what Sukesh is doing in other centers.
“Hopefully, what we experienced with Thrisha can be replicated by high school students across the United States,” she said.
Sukesh’s work has captured the attention of others. The National Charity League’s Fort Worth Trailblazers Chapter, during its recent Centennial Banquet, honored her with the 18 Under 18 Award.
Sukesh has spread her work for those with a dementia diagnosis beyond the West center. She has also started working with Dementia Friendly Fort Worth, an organization that helps businesses and organizations become more welcoming for people with the diagnosis.
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She and the leadership of the organization schedule meetings with businesses to help them become more dementia friendly.
“It can be as simple as setting aside a certain time during the week when there will be less activity and maybe a quieter time for people with dementia,” Sukesh said.
That work with Dementia Friendly Fort Worth also caught the attention of Fort Worth City Council member Michael Crain, who represents District 3 in southwest Fort Worth.
“Thrisha Sukesh’s leadership and passion for making Fort Worth a more dementia-friendly community are truly inspiring; her advocacy and ability to mobilize fellow students show what happens when compassion and action come together,” he said.
Crain presented Sukesh with a city proclamation recognizing her work with Dementia-Friendly Fort Worth at the Sept. 16 council meeting in recognition of National Alzheimer’s Day.
“We owe it to our seniors to make Fort Worth a city that understands their needs,” she told the council. “Aging is inevitable and one day we will be the seniors that are walking into those businesses. The kind of community we build today will be the future we inherit tomorrow.”
Sukesh is not sure what her next steps will be after she graduates from high school.
“A lot of this work with people who have dementia and just seniors in general has made me interested in neuroscience,” she said.
“I’ve got one more year left, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to figure it out by then,” she said.
Crain said Sukesh will make a difference no matter what she does in the future.
“Thrisha is exemplary for the young people our society needs: engaged, empathetic and devoted to making a lasting difference to those around them,” he said.
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
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