Nanna Lilly was over the moon (Picture: Maxine Daniel)

Christmas presents may mean more to one person than they do to another.

And in this case, an elderly woman was more than overjoyed with her Baby Annabell Doll.

In the emotional video, a grandmother reacts to the doll she received from her granddaughter as a Christmas gift.

Maxine Daniel, from Durham, posted the video online alongside the caption: ‘My Christmas gift to my lovely Nana Lilly (who sadly has dementia) was a Baby Annabell doll. Her reaction is a joy to see and melts my heart.’


The video shows her Nana Lilly holding the doll tenderly, burping her and gently rocking her like a real newborn.



The joy you see within her eyes is truly overwhelming and will leave you reaching for a tissue.

Maxine’s video has been liked by over 18,000 people and shared over 5,000 times.

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According to an article in carehome.co.uk, dolls can actually work as therapy for dementia patients, though it is still seen by some carers as controversial.

The site cites studies that have found so-called doll therapy can be a very effective way for a person with Alzheimer’s or any kind of dementia to decrease stress and agitation.

Doll therapy has been found to calm residents, reduce wandering and reduce the need for psychotropic drugs – in one case, a nursing home reported a reduction from 92% to 98% reliance on the medication.

Nanna Lilly rocks baby Annabelle to sleep (Picture: Maxine Daniel)

Giving a person with dementia a doll can give them something to care about, some responsibility and something to hold close to them and love.

Therapists who use the dolls say that they must be introduced carefully to avoid the fear of an unwanted responsibility. The dolls may remind the person of a younger sibling or child, and loud cries can be distressing.

Some families and carers find it distressing to see their loved one in what they may see as an infantilised state – but the pros are increasingly being shown to outweigh the cons.

MORE: Timothy West speaking openly about wife Prunella Scales’ dementia is heartbreaking

MORE: Developed a dark sense of humour? It could be an early sign of dementia

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