93-Year-Old Woman with Dementia Gets Major News from Granddaughter: 'Family Is Forever' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Taylor Tarantino with her grandmother and fiancé Blake.Photo:Taylor Tarantino

Taylor Tarantino

Taylor Tarantino’s 93-year-old grandmother has always been her biggest fan.

Ever since Tarantino, a former dancer for the Los Angeles Clippers, can remember, her grandmother, June Givler, has been there to support her. She tells PEOPLE that Givler attended every dance recital, choir performance and birthday party when she was growing up.

“I admire her for her strong-willed attitude that she somehow perfectly blends with a soft and delicate grandma touch,” says Tarantino, now an account coordinator for a food and drink digital media company. “She is truly the sweetest, most gentle human I know.”

“Our relationship has stayed pretty much the same over the years as I’ve grown into an adult. She is such a big part of my life and has brought so much joy to me and my siblings.”

Taylor Tarantino with her grandmother and fiancé Blake.Taylor Tarantino

When Tarantino began dating her boyfriend Blake (the older brother of her best friend Kailey, who was also her teammate on the Clippers) in May 2021, her grandmother instantly grew to adore him, even leaving Tarantino several voicemails about how much she loved him.

Since then, every time Tarantino would visit Givler, she would ask when she thought they’d be getting engaged — just like grandmothers tend to do.

“I would always tell her that when it happened, I would let her know as soon as possible,” she says.

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Taylor Tarantino telling her grandmother she got engaged.Taylor Tarantino

Then, on Dec. 26, 2024, Blake proposed to Tarantino. Right away, she was incredibly excited to share the news with her grandmother. When she and Blake went to Givler’s house to tell her, they captured the moment on video.

“My grandma has dementia,” Tarantino explains. “I wasn’t sure how she would respond because she has good days and bad days. But when I gave her the news, she reacted exactly how I’d hoped — she was completely herself and totally understood what I was saying! It clicked right away. I’m so grateful that the day I came to tell her was a good one — it feels almost like fate.”

“I felt so excited and lucky to be able to share the news with her,” she adds. “Now that she’s in her 90s, I really try to cherish every moment I have with her. Her reaction reminded me that family is forever. It’s truly the most important thing in our lives. It made me that much more excited to get married and continue to grow our family.”

“We are still very early in the planning stages as we are aiming for Fall 2026, but I would definitely love to honor both of my grandmas at our wedding — I have another grandma who is 94 who I also love dearly,” she continues. “One thing we have decided on, however, is to have it in my hometown of Sonoma County so that it’s easy for both of them to attend.”

source: people.com