Former Miss SA Jo-Ann Strauss opens up about dealing with her brother's death and her mom's dementia

To outsiders, her life can seem pretty perfect – she’s an international businesswoman, she’s happily married, she has four lovely children and she’s as groomed and glamorous as ever.

But when former Miss South Africa Jo-Ann Strauss opens up about her private world it’s clear that, like everyone else, life is a combination of heavy highs and devastating lows. She knows she has a lot to be grateful for but there’s the heartache of her 65-year-old mom Ingrid’s dementia.

Over the past seven years Jo-Ann has watched helplessly as the mother she loves and admires has withdrawn into a different world and become almost a stranger to her. The only comfort is Ingrid seems happy and calm most of the time.