North Carolina caregiver's touching moment with 90-year-old patient goes viral

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's a TikTok video that has captured the hearts of millions online.

Ahead of Mother's Day, Dezarae Stone, a caregiver, wanted to bring white roses to her patient, Ms. Kathy, 90, who is living in a senior living facility.

You can hear Stone in the video say: "I won't get to see you for Mother's Day, so I wanted to give them to you today."

Touched, Ms. Kathy responds, "You are too nice," and kisses the flowers.

Stone began caring for Ms. Kathy eight months ago, primarily providing companionship and coming around at dinner time.

In the video, despite living with dementia, Ms. Kathy recalls moments with Stone, including receiving flowers on Valentine's Day and celebrating her 90th birthday.

"We connected so well," Stone shared with ABC11. "She's like my adopted grandma now."

Stone is a caregiver with CareYaya, a North Carolina-based company that matches families with affordable caregivers. She joined the company three years ago when she was a UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate following the passing of her grandmother.

Her grandmother suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that progressed into early-onset Alzheimer's. This sparked Stone's passion for neuroscience and psychology at a young age. She earned a degree in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill, with double minors in Neuroscience and Medical Anthropology.

Helping individuals like Ms. Kathy have not only helped Stone heal from the loss of her grandmother but also inspired her future career path.

"Taking care of other people can help take away how you're feeling inside with yourself, if you're struggling with something," Stone said. "Giving your time and energy to help making someone else's day better can kind of project onto yourself."

Currently pursuing a double master's in gerontology and social work, she hopes to start a practice specializing in trauma-informed geriatric care.