For the last 10 years, the Bob and Diane Fund has been supporting photographers to create visual stories of the often unseen lives of people living with dementia, through poignant high-quality images.

Dementia Connections is honored to help celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the innovative Bob and Diane Fund by sharing a selection of the moving, painful, love and life affirming images from the Fund’s collection, along with the story behind the creation of the fund as told by its founder, Gina Martin.

View full image collections from 2016 to 2025 at https://www.bobanddianefund.org/

Who were Bob & Diane?

My mom, Diane, and my dad, Bob, were high school sweethearts. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2006 at the age of 65. We were a close family, and the diagnosis was frightening for my parents, my two siblings, and me. We knew this disease would drastically affect their retirement years together.

At first, the changes were subtle—forgetfulness and occasional confusion, as expected with any dementia diagnosis. As the years passed, my once-independent mom became increasingly dependent on my dad, who took on the role of her caregiver.

While they lived in Northern California, I was 3,000 miles away in Washington, D.C. To support them, I arranged for one of her many friends to spend time with her once a week, ensuring my dad could have a much-needed break.

By the fourth year, my mom’s dementia had worsened. My dad was a devoted caregiver, but he couldn't do it alone. We hired help three to four days a week, but eventually, we had to face the difficult conversation about moving her into a care facility.

No matter how much you prepare, loss is both painful and, in some ways, a relief.

– Gina Martin

In September 2011, my dad was on the verge of making that decision when my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and given three months to live. At that moment, we knew we would keep her at home for her remaining time. She passed away six weeks later, on October 31, 2011.

No matter how much you prepare, loss is both painful and, in some ways, a relief. My dad struggled more than we expected. We thought he might find some solace, but instead, he deeply mourned the loss of his bride of 49 and a half years. Three months later, on his 71st birthday, he made a wish, blew out his candle, and collapsed from a fatal heart attack. His wish to be with her again was granted.

Honouring Bob and Diane

During my mom’s illness, I found it too painful to read about Alzheimer’s or watch movies that featured it in the storyline. But four years after my parents’ passing, I felt a deep need to create something in their honor.

At the time, I had been working at National Geographic for over 20 years, fostering my passion for photography. Meanwhile, I was also raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association through their Walk to End Alzheimer’s (our team was TEAM DIANE).

One year, I had extra funds and wanted to create a photography grant, but I wanted it to be meaningful to me. A friend suggested, “Why not make it about Alzheimer’s photography and name it after your parents?”

And so, in early 2016, the Bob & Diane Fund was born.

I established a 501©(3) nonprofit, assembled a Board of Directors, built a website, and got to work.

Our grant was first announced in June of that year at a photo festival. We launched a call for submissions, offering the first-ever $5,000 visual storytelling grant focused on Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Time.com featured our grant announcement, and the global photography community shared it widely on social media. By the end of September, we had received nearly 90 submissions from 25 countries.

Watching this fund grow from an idea to a collection of deeply moving and personal projects was an emotional experience. These submissions brought me back to my family’s journey and reminded me of the millions of families navigating this disease today.

Our first grantee, Swedish photographer Maja Daniels, was announced on Time.com. Her project, Into Oblivion, documented life inside a locked memory-care ward in a French geriatric hospital. Her haunting images of patients peering through small windows at the outside world were published in The New York Times, AARP, NPR, Huffington Post, and other major media outlets. The Bob & Diane Fund had made its mark.

Making Unseen Lives Visible

By our second year, I knew we had created something important. There were powerful Alzheimer’s and dementia-related photography projects worldwide, and I was determined to bring them to light.

I researched Alzheimer’s organizations, publications, and digital platforms to ensure our grantees’ work would reach a wide audience. Our mission was clear: to use visual storytelling to shed light on a disease that had remained in the shadows for far too long.

Each October, a distinguished panel of judges—Sarah Leen (former Director of Photography at National Geographic), Chip Somodevilla (Getty News Staff Photographer), and a guest judge—reviewed submissions and selected the winner. As of 2017, The Washington Post announces our grant winner in November, for National Caregivers Month.

This process took approximately four hours, the same amount of time in which 240 people would be diagnosed with dementia.

Over the years, we awarded grants to:

• 2017: British photographer Christopher Nunn (Falling into the Day), a gentle portrayal of an artist living with dementia.
• 2018: American photographer Stephen DiRado (With Dad), an intimate black-and-white series documenting his father’s decline.
• 2019: Danish photographer Sofie Matthiessen (But Greatest is Love), an honest depiction of her grandfather’s battle with the disease and her grandmother’s role as his caregiver.
• 2020: Iranian photographer Jalal Shamsazaran (Loss of Oral History), a deeply personal project about his father’s dementia.
• 2021: American photographer Cheryle St. Onge (Calling the Birds Home), a moving collaboration between a photographer and her mother.
• 2022: American photographer Lori Grinker (All the Little Things), a touching documentation of her mother’s decline.
• 2023: Welsh photographer Helen Rimell (No Longer Her(e)), a powerful and honest portrayal of her mother and the experience of being a caregiver.
• 2024: New York-based photographer Jason Crowley (A Tough Old Bird), a deeply personal project about his grandmother’s life with Alzheimer’s.

Celebrating 10 Years

I still cannot believe we are celebrating the Bob & Diane Fund’s 10th year. I am honored to have awarded so many talented photographers and helped bring their Alzheimer’s projects to the world.

In the time it took our judges to select a winner each year for 9 years, 1,855 people were diagnosed with this disease.

– Gina Martin

Since our first announcement, our work has been featured in print and online 125 times, and we have received 613 submissions from 58 countries. We have provided nine full grants and many smaller “angel” grants to support critical projects. And in the time it took our judges to select a winner each year for 9 years, 1,855 people were diagnosed with this disease.

For our 10th anniversary, my goal is to expand our impact even further.

Working at National Geographic, I witnessed firsthand how visual storytelling can shift perceptions and influence policy. I believe that photography can do the same for Alzheimer’s and dementia—raising awareness, fostering empathy, and increasing financial support for research in the hope of one day finding a cure.

My parents were the most generous people I knew. They taught me the gift of giving.

This is my gift to them.