A 23-year-old man became one of the youngest adults in the U.K. to be diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson's disease — the same illnesses that claimed his mother's life over six years.
Seeing his mother's health suffer was a wakeup call for Jordan Adams, who decided to get tested for the faulty MAPT gene that would cause him to develop early onset frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson's, The Daily Mail reported.
On Sept. 12 it was confirmed that Adams had inherited the gene that would bring about the same illness that his mother battled before she died at 52.
He described the progression of his mother's illness as "heart-wrenching."
"She lost the ability to walk and care for herself and for the last 18 months she was bedridden," he said, according to The Daily Mail.
Adams shows no signs of either dementia or Parkinson's, but the symptoms could surface at any time.
There is just a one-in-100 million chance that the mutation will not lead to dementia, and Adams is likely to die in his 50s like his mother did, according The Telegraph.
Frontotemporal dementia tends to occur in patients in their 50s and 60s however, the Alzheimer's Association noted that it can be present in people in their 20s.
Roughly 50,000 to 60,000 people in the U.S. are thought to be living with the illness, the majority of whom are between 45 and 65 years of age.
Despite the severity of his condition, Adams is determined to live his life to the fullest and hopes to start a family with his girlfriend, Lucy Thomas, before his symptoms develop.
Adams would first have his sperm screened for the faulty gene and then the couple would look into IVF as a possible way forward, The Daily Mail noted.
Adams has also compiled a bucket list of activities he hopes to complete before his symptoms start to show and a GoFundMe page has been set up to assist in raising money to help him realize his dreams.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.