A 29-year-old mother from Australia has opened up about a devastating early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis and detailed the symptoms she's noticed.
Early-onset Alzheimer's is the name given to to anyone who is diagnosed with the disease before the age of 65, though you certainly don't expect people in their 20s to have Alzheimer's.
Erin Kelly was told she had early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in June, amid a family history of the health condition.
"My [mom] died of Alzheimer’s when she was 50," Kelly told 7News. "The disease took my grandfather at 45, and my aunt when she was the same age. I just didn’t think it would come for me so soon."
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Scans have already revealed first signs of damage to Kelly's neurons, cells in the brain that send messages to the rest of the body.
And Kelly is already starting to experience some symptoms of the disease despite her early diagnosis.
Speaking further to 7News, Kelly added: "I’ve started to notice small changes already. Forgetting words and mixing words together. I’ll be thinking of something, and I’ll just mush the words together. It’s things I didn’t do previously."
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Kelly knows she will have to tell her eight-year-old daughter Evie at some point, but given her age, it's not something she wants to bring up just yet.
"We’re not exactly sure how or what to tell her yet. She’s still so young," Kelly added to 7News. "She will get some information, but we want to protect her for as long as we can.
"The goal is to see her finish school, get married. I want to make sure she’s an adult before I die."
According to the Alzheimer's Association, symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's and dementia include memory loss that disrupts daily life, difficulty completing familiar tasks and confusion with time or place.
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A GoFundMe page has been set up by Kelly's stepsister, Jessica Simpson, who is hoping to raise cash for treatment to enable the single mom to spend more time with her young daughter.
The fundraiser states: "There is a treatment called Leqembi. It’s not a cure, but it could slow the progression and give Erin more time — to keep working, keep functioning, and most importantly, keep being Evie’s [mom] for as long as she can.
"But this medication isn’t available through the public system [in Australia] and is incredibly expensive."
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If you've been affected by dementia or Alzheimer's and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact the Alzheimer's Association via 800.272.3900 open 24 hours seven days a week.
Callum Jones