The son of a Sainsbury’s worker diagnosed with Alzheimer’s five years ago has revealed in an ‘uplifting’ post on social media how the supermarket giant fought to keep her job open and handled her condition with ‘compassion, class and dignity’.
Doron Salomon, who works for a football agency, has seen his emotional thread praising Sainbury’s go viral after he detailed the lengths staff at the store, in Harrow, North London, went to to keep his mother, who he doesn’t want to name, employed in a job she loves.
Doron says the supermarket has helped to ‘normalise’ his mother’s life over the last few years as her illness has deteriorated, giving her self-worth when ‘she was quite literally losing everything she once was’
The supermarket chain told MailOnline their former employee had been an ‘inspiration’.
Twitter user Doron Salomon took to social media to highlight the ‘kindness and compassion’ shown to his 61-year-old mother, pictured above, by management and staff at the Sainsbury’s store in Harrow where she worked. Despite being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013, she has continued to work at the store after they changed her hours and created a role just for her – she finally left last week after her condition deteriorated
The Sainsbury’s worker pictured a year after her diagnosis in 2014; son Doron says as soon as the supermarket became aware of her condition, staff at the branch in Harrow did everything they could to help his mother
Mother and son pictured in the same year in 2014; the former bookkeeper was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s during her mid-fifties
Some of the tweets posted by Doron Salomon about the way Sainsbury’s had treated his mother – the thread has now gone viral with more than 10,000 people sharing it
The tweets posted over the weekend tell the story of how the 61-year-old, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her early fifties, has now served her last day working in the store after five years of employment, where she started shortly before her diagnosis.
After being forced to give up her career as a bookkeeper as the illness took hold, Doron’s mother applied for and got a job picking in-store for online deliveries in 2012.
When the store was made aware of an official diagnosis less than a year later, Doron reveals his family expected his mother to be told she couldn’t be employed.
However, he explains that Sainsbury’s instead did everything they could to ensure she stayed working at the store.
He writes that the company ‘offered regular re-training; changed her hours; had regular welfare meetings with her and my dad; ensured her colleagues were aware of her condition so they were able to help her.’
The lady’s son, Doron Salomon told MailOnline that staff at the store had helped serve ‘as a reminder to her of her self-worth every day at a time when she was quite literally losing everything she once was’
Doron adds that they ‘even created a role that didn’t exist so that there was something in-store she could do despite the fact her job title has never changed from “picker”.’
Before his mother finally left the store last week, she was given the task of cleaning tote boxes, something which ‘became the most important job in the world’ to her.
Her condition has deteriorated to such an extent in the last year that she would arrive for work often confused.
Doron told MailOnline: ‘I think Sainsbury’s normalised her life. They served as a reminder of her self-worth every day at a time when she was quite literally losing everything she once was.
‘They were more than just an employer but supported her like a family. They made her struggle lighter and brighter.’
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s told MailOnline: ‘Doron’s mum was a much loved colleague and an inspiration to all of us. We’d like to thank her for her years of service and wish her all the best for the future.’
Doron revealed that he shared his mother’s story on Twitter in the hope that it will raise awareness and persuade people todonate to fight the disease.
After reading the thread, many applauded Sainsbury’s for the store’s actions.
One, @shamazipan, wrote: ‘This was incredible to read and an absolute example of how an employer should treat their staff as people, not just as a commodity.
@nickparkin51 added: ‘How wonderful to hear of such kindness and pragmatism. There’s something really uplifting hearing about a big corporation behaving with such humanity and insight.’
@48mojitos penned: ‘There are good people, good employers & supportive families out there. It’s easy to forget amidst the relentless bad news.’