Dubai Student Develops Alzheimer's App After Grandfather Stops Recognising Her

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) When Ghaliya Wahby watched her grandfather struggle to remember the names of the grandchildren he had known and loved all his life, she saw more than memory loss - she saw a connection slowly becoming harder to hold on to.

The Grade 12 student at the American School of Dubai has now turned that deeply personal experience into Alzimate - an app designed to help people living with Alzheimer's reconnect with familiar faces, voices and memories, while giving families and caregivers a place to keep important information.

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The app, which went live recently, has already recorded more than 400 downloads, according to Ghaliya. It allows families to create personalised profiles containing photographs, memories, important people, voice recordings, music, medication details and other information that may help make everyday life more familiar for a person living with Alzheimer's.

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For Ghaliya, the idea began with her grandfather. She was around seven when his memory started noticeably deteriorating, but one particular change made her realise how deeply the condition was affecting his relationships.

“The moment I realised there was a real disconnect was when he started struggling to remember who his grandchildren were. These were people he had known and loved our entire lives, but suddenly he was having trouble placing who we were.”

“That really stayed with me because I could see how his memory loss was starting to affect his relationships with the people closest to him. It made me start thinking about whether technology could help bridge that gap, and that was really where the idea for Alzimate began.”

From family memories to digital tool

Ghaliya said her grandfather had been a strong presence in her childhood, filling ordinary moments with conversations and lessons. Even as his memory declined, those experiences remained vivid for her.

“At one point, my grandfather stopped calling me by my name. But when I looked at him, I could still see in his eyes that he knew who I was. I could also see the struggle, and almost the disappointment, that he couldn't quite remember my name.”

“That was really difficult to watch, especially because my grandfather had always been such a strong person with a huge presence.”

Those memories shaped the way she viewed Alzheimer's - not simply as a condition that causes someone to forget, but as one that can make familiar people and relationships increasingly difficult to recognise.

“I think that's what changed the way I saw Alzheimer's. Even when he began forgetting parts of our relationship, I hadn't forgotten them. It made me realise how much is still there behind the memory loss, and it made me want to find a way to help preserve those connections.”

Alzimate allows family members or caregivers to build a personalised profile for the patient. They can add photographs, memories, names, relationships, voice recordings and music, creating what Ghaliya describes as a more personal experience rather than a medical one.

“When someone starts using Alzimate, their family or caregiver can create a personalised profile for them and add photos, memories, important people, voice recordings, music and other things that are familiar to them.”

“The family can keep updating the app and creating albums, so their loved one always has somewhere they can go back to and revisit those memories.”

Helping families spend less time explaining and more time connecting

For Ghaliya, one of the most important ideas behind the app came from watching her grandfather at a family gathering.

She remembers seeing him spend much of his time trying to work out who the people around him were - a situation that made her think about how isolating Alzheimer's can be, even when a person is surrounded by family.

“One thing that really stayed with me was seeing my grandfather at a family function and realizing that he was spending more time trying to remember who everyone was than actually connecting with them.”

“I started thinking about how lonely that must feel. You can be in a room full of people who love you, but if you don't recognise any of them, it can almost feel like you're surrounded by strangers.”

That thinking became central to Alzimate's family albums and photographs. Ghaliya hopes the app can help patients refamiliarise themselves with the people closest to them before spending time together.

“That's a big reason I added the family photos and albums to Alzimate. The idea is that someone could wake up in the morning, go through the app and refamiliarise themselves with their family; their names, faces, relationships and memories.”

“Then, when they're actually together, hopefully they can spend less time trying to figure out who everyone is and more time talking, laughing and connecting with them.”

The app also includes medications and important information intended to support caregivers with some of the practical aspects of looking after someone with Alzheimer's.

For Ghaliya, her ambition is for Alzimate to eventually reach families well beyond the experience that inspired it.

“I'd love to keep learning from the people using the app and use their feedback to continue developing and improving it. My goal is for Alzimate to grow beyond my grandfather's story and eventually become something that can support millions of patients and families around the world.”

Ghaliya also wants to keep the app free for users, saying accessibility is central to her vision.

“Looking forward, I'd love to see Alzimate in the hands of millions of users around the world. One thing that is really important to me is that it remains accessible to everyone for free.”

“I have no intention of putting a price tag on something that could genuinely help families dealing with Alzheimer's.”

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