Loving my dad, who has younger-onset Alzheimer's

Millie Robinson’s family had been through enough as it was before her devoted dad Jim Rogers received his diagnosis in 2021. Today they navigate the unknown together and stay in the moment to enjoy their tight-knit community.

Millie is a celebrant, mum and author living in Brisbane.

She also supports her dad, Jim, who has younger-onset Alzheimer’s. 

Millie started life in the UK, in a very tight-knit network of family and friends who wrapped their arms around Jim, Millie and her siblings when Millie’s mum died of cancer.

Jim became the dad and the mum of the house, and for years put himself last to care for his babies and make sure they were alright.

Then he fell in love with Tyler, and Millie gained a stepdad.

The family thought they’d used up their quota of shock for one lifetime, but when Jim was diagnosed in 2021, they rallied and continue to care for him with the same devotion he showed when they were kids.

Further information

Holding On To Happiness, written by Jim Rogers and Millie Robinson is published by Pan Macmillan.

Watch the 2025 Australian Story featuring Millie, Jim and their family.

This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan and the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.

It covers caring for parents, Dementia Australia, living well with dementia, Hamish Macdonald, the sandwich generation, losing a mother, motherless mother, finding love again, going back into the closet, two dads, step parent, tight knit family, grandparent, Redditch, cottage, forget me not, Brisbane, moving to Australia, skin cancer, melonoma, mole, Canary Islands, celebrant, marrying, getting married, VW Beetle, high school sweetheart.

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.