Jordan Adams, a 23-year-old entrepreneur, has been dealt the devastating blow that he is the youngest person to be diagnosed with dementia.
Jordan will develop early onset frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson’s Disease which could reduce his life expectancy.
Having inherited the rare mutation of the MAPT gene from his mother, Geri Adams, who died of the disease at 52, Jordan has been warned that his health will deteriorate as he gets older.
Jordan Adams, youngest person to be given a dementia diagnosis, said: “When I was told the diagnosis I was devastated. We had been in the waiting area for what seemed like hours – it was only 10 minutes but it felt like an eternity.
“As soon as I walked into the room I knew it wasn’t a positive result. Nobody can prepare you for that.
“If there are no advancements then I’ll have a shorter life than most. It’s like a death sentence. It’s very hard to explain. We’re all dealt cards in life and I was just incredibly unlucky.
“Mum was full of love and very much a people person. No one had a bad word to say about her, she was very kind and lovely.
“We’d noticed irregularities in her behaviour. I remember one Saturday she went to pick up Kennedy from school but it was a weekend. Her character changed from being a loving woman and she became quite cold. She seemed to lack compassion which was a huge change from when she’d covered us in love.
“She slowly got stripped of her communication. She couldn’t talk a lot and then she began to lose her mobility and couldn’t go out alone. As the disease progressed, she lost the ability to walk and care for herself and for the last 18 months she was bedridden. It was heartwrenching.
“I feel like the diagnosis is actually a licence to live. It’ll make me step back and appreciate the bigger picture. It’s going to allow me to make choices to live a fulfilled life.”
Jordan’s sister Kennedy Adams: said: “This disease is hereditary, aggressive, and rare.
“I’ve been told you have more chance of winning the EuroMillions than getting it. But Jordan’s been incredible, and he’s not going to let it destroy him.
“When I found out he had the gene, I said if I could have had it instead then I would. It’s like you’ve got a black cloud over you, but you don’t know when the storm will come.
“He has got time but we just don’t know how much – he has no symptoms yet, but it could start tomorrow. He won’t get it when he’s old and grey, but when he’s young and fit.
“It will first strip him of his personality. He won’t have likes and dislikes and he won’t be able to hold a conversation. Eventually he won’t be able to feed himself and walk. How can this happen to one family? When will it stop? It seems never-ending.”
At present, 534,621 people have a dementia diagnosis in the UK; these statistics will surpass one million by 2025 and two million by 2050.
Whilst we are living longer lives, dementia is the only condition in the top ten causes of death without a treatment to prevent, cure or slow its progression. When more people are being diagnosed at a younger age, it is becoming increasingly clear as to how important it is to ensure after life planning and Wills are a priority for all adults.
Have you found more young people are preparing Wills? What are the implications of dying intestate?
