Who Will Be Next?

Recently I had the occasion to sit with a group of young mothers who were celebrating the first birthdays of two of their children. I listened as they talked about how wonderful it was to see their little ones be so carefree and full of wonder at everything life has to offer. Before long, the conversation changed as they began to talk about what the future would bring for themselves and for their children. “What’s going to happen to the environment?” “Will world nations ever find a way to peacefully co-exist?” “Will we be able to afford the skyrocketing cost of providing our kids with a good education?” These were among their major concerns.

I was a little surprised when one of the women, knowing that I worked for the Alzheimer’s Association, asked what her chances are of getting Alzheimer’s disease and how young it could start. Tracy went on to tell us that her mother, who is in her early 50s, constantly worries about getting it and that her mother’s concern has now begun to worry her as well. Tracy then told her friends, in a voice filled with anxiety, about how she was convinced that she had lost her cell phone one particularly stressful day last week until she found it in the refrigerator, along with the groceries she bought. The very first thing that came to her mind was, “Oh my god, I must be starting Alzheimer’s.”

Lily, a 31-year-old artist and mother of two, talked about how sad it is to watch her grandfather slowly deteriorate from dementia. Every time she visits him in the assisted living facility, she leaves wondering if her father will be diagnosed next and if she will follow, in the absence of a cure. Lily also admitted that she worries at times about her own two children — “How will I live with myself if I’ve passed the Alzheimer’s gene on to them?”

As the conversation continued and others voiced their fears, it became clear to me that young people in their 20s and 30s would certainly benefit from learning more about Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. There is no question that as general awareness about Alzheimer’s continues to grow, and more and more people are living with family members who have been diagnosed, there is an ever increasing need to provide easily accessible education and information about these frightening illnesses.

As I thought about my conversation with Tracy and her friends later that day, I was struck by how similar the concerns of my older early-stage dementia support group members are to those that were expressed at the party. “What are the chances that my grandchildren will inherit this disease?” one member constantly asks. “How old is the youngest person to get Alzheimer’s?” “We know it’s too late for us, but will there be a cure soon so our children and grandchildren won’t have to worry?” Questions like these come up frequently in group as members share their deepest fears about what will happen if someone in the younger generation of their families is diagnosed.

One of the things we often say at the Association is that Alzheimer’s is a very ‘democratic’ disease that can affect anyone regardless of race, sex, religion, economic, educational or social background. In terms of age, the general notion still exists that Alzheimer’s and other dementias only strike older people. It’s clear, however, that even this belief is beginning to change as members of the next generation begin to confront their fears, and turn their energies and attention to the search for a cure.

— Paulette Michaud
Director, Early-Stage Services

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