A 23-year-old British man has been told he will almost certainly develop dementia later in his life after inheriting a rare genetic mutation.
Jordan Adams is believed to be the youngest person in Britain to find out that he will suffer from early onset frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson’s Disease as a result of a faulty MAPT gene.
As a result of the disease, Mr Adams from Redditch in Worcestershire, is likely to eventually lose the ability to walk, talk and eat for himself.
Furthermore, doctors have said that dementia could end his life in his fifties, as it did to his mum Geri and aunt Ann.
According to medical experts, he has just one in a 100 million chance that the gene mutation will not leave him with dementia.
The young entrepreneur was given the news after he underwent tests with his sister Kennedy, 25.
His sister was given the all clear in May of this year.
Speaking to The Telegraph about the life-changing news, he 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.
“Nobody can prepare you for that. It’s like a death sentence.
“We’re all dealt cards in life and I was just incredibly unlucky.”
Speaking about his mum, who lost her life as a result of the disease, he said: “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.
Mr Adams revealed he is now planning to have his sperm screened for the gene so that he and girlfriend, Lucy Thomas, can start a family before his symptoms develop.
“I feel like the diagnosis is actually a licence to live,” he said.
“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.”
