A 30-year-old man has shared the heart-wrenching changes he observed in his mother following her diagnosis with early-onset dementia.
Jordan Adams, a resident of Redditch, England, opened up about the challenges his family encountered as his mother, Geraldine, battled early-onset dementia. This ordeal was compounded by the fear that he and his siblings might also inherit the faulty gene responsible for the condition.
In 2010, Geraldine was diagnosed with Early-Onset Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), indicating that she was terminally ill and would gradually worsen over a span of six to ten years.
Jordan described his mother as an extroverted individual who was the life of every party, always ready to brighten someone’s day with her conversation. A shift in this behavior was one of the initial indicators of the debilitating disease.
Jordan recalled: “I remember clearly the first signs that she wasn’t well. She’d stopped wanting to socialize and developed very low moods. She started repetitively asking the same questions.”
He mentioned that routine activities, such as being driven to school, became ‘traumatic’ experiences. Geraldine would forget to check her blind spot and frequently collided with other vehicles.
Her driving license was eventually revoked, and Jordan discussed the responsibility of ensuring she did not drive, as she might forget that she was no longer permitted to.
The family had to adapt to providing more intensive care as Geraldine became bedridden, requiring assistance with bathing, feeding, and using the restroom.
Geraldine passed away on March 14, 2016, at the age of 52.
Afterward, Jordan’s older sister, Kennedy, decided to undergo genetic testing to determine if she had inherited the MAPT gene linked to early-onset dementia.
She tested negative, and following this, Jordan and his younger brother, Cian, also opted for the test.
Both brothers were found to carry the gene but have chosen to remain positive and make the most of their lives despite the diagnosis.
Jordan believes that he and his brother will ultimately succumb to the condition, having already lost 12 relatives to FTD. However, he is committed to aiding in the search for a cure and supporting research efforts.
He participates in annual tests at University College London to assist future generations carrying the gene and has also run marathons to raise funds for dementia research.