Before Jim Rogers Loses His Memories, His Daughter Millie Is Recording His Extraordinary Life

Jim Rogers met his wife Lorna in a small English town. The two connected over a shared obsession with VW Beetles. They married, had three children, and moved to Perth chasing sunshine. Life was good until Lorna was diagnosed with melanoma and tragically died within a few years, leaving Jim a single father to three children under nine.  Eighteen months later, his parents sent him on a holiday he didn't want to go on. There, he met a man named Tyler. What followed was a relationship neither of them expected, kept quietly in the background of family life for years, and one that's now lasted 26 years.  In this episode, Jim and Millie sit down with Tiffany Dunk to talk about the process of writing Jim's memoir together: the hardest parts to put into words, what it was like for Millie to hear new stories about her mum and her dad's early relationship with Tyler, and Jim's more recent diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer's, which he's chosen to speak about publicly rather than hide.  Plus, Jim talks about the podcast he co-hosts with Hamish MacDonald, Hold the Moment, and what he hopes it can do to de-stigmatise Alzheimer's and help people with the diagnosis feel less alone.  Moments you’ll hear:  How Jim met Lorna, and the VW Beetle that started it all  Millie's memory of the day her dad told her and her siblings their mum had died  The holiday Jim didn't want to go on, and the man he met there  Millie's first inkling that her dad's friend was more than a friend  The proposal on top of the Empire State Building, and the surprise engagement at home  Jim's young-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis  Why Jim decided to write it all down, "warts and all"  Photo Credit: Rob Palmer  You can listen to Jim’s podcast, Hold The Moment, here.  Find Jim & Millie’s book, Holding on to Happiness, here.  Thank you for listening ❤️  Before you leave...  🗣️ Get in touch  What did you think? We are a brand-new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Love Stories community and visit us at womensweekly.com.au  Email us your love stories (and any feedback) at [email protected]  If you share your love story on social media please tag us, we're @womensweeklymag, and use the hashtag #AWWLoveStories  Subscribe to The Australian Women's Weekly at womensweekly.com.au 👈🏽  Sending thanks to our partners at Wounded Heroes.  You can help Wounded Heroes deliver emergency assistance to current Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families by donating at: www.woundedheroes.org.au/actsofservice  Credits  Host: Tiffany Dunk  Edited by Leah Porges  Production by Leah Porges  Our wonderful The Australian Women's Weekly team  Our Head of Vodcasting is Rachel Fountain  Learn More: The Australian Women's Weekly website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.