12.10.2024

The father battling Alzheimer’s at 45

An army veteran is battling early onset Alzheimer’s aged just 45 – after losing his mother and both siblings to the disease.

Matt Oliver, from Dallas, was just 41 when doctors diagnosed him with the crippling, memory-robbing disease that usually strikes the elderly.

He struggles to remember basic instructions, becomes disorientated easily and is reliant on his partner and full-time carer Traci Ward, also 45.

Mr Oliver also has trouble with his speech, can no longer drive and has gone missing after getting lost on a couple of occasions.

The father-of-three, who lost his sister Stormie and brother Shawn when they were in their 50s, carries the same genetic mutation that leads to Alzheimer’s.

Mr Oliver, who served in Kosovo, has been told that his children have a 50 per cent chance of getting the same PSEN1 gene mutation.

Matt Oliver, from Dallas, was just 41 when doctors diagnosed him with the crippling, memory-robbing disease that usually strikes the elderly

He struggles to remember basic instructions, becomes disorientated easily and is reliant on his partner and full-time carer Traci Ward (pictured), also 45

The disease is rampant

Ms Ward, who lives with Mr Oliver – who also worked as a military contractor in the Middle East, said: ‘Early onset Alzheimer’s runs rampant through his mum’s side of his family.

‘He’s lost his mum and all her nine siblings, his brother, sister, grandma, great grandfather and some cousins have had it or are fighting this horrible terminal disease right now.

‘He was diagnosed at 41, he is 45 now. But he’s been having symptoms since he was 35 years old. It goes back four plus generations on his mum’s side of his family.’

A 50% chance of passing the gene to his children 

She added: ‘His children also have a 50/50 chance of inheriting the gene. If they do, it’s a 96 per cent chance that they will become symptomatic also.

‘He’s been on both sides as a caregiver for his mum, brother and sister and now has been diagnosed with this.

‘His symptoms have been getting worse over the past few months also. His speech has become majorly affected.

Mr Oliver, who served in Kosovo, has been told that his children have a 50 per cent chance of getting the same PSEN1 gene mutation

Mr Oliver also has trouble with his speech, can no longer drive and has gone missing after getting lost (pictured with his parents, brother, sister, sister-in-law and niece)

The father-of-three, who lost his sister Stormie and brother Shawn when they were in their 50s, carries the same genetic mutation that leads to Alzheimer’s

WHAT IS EARLY ONSET ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?

Alzheimer’s has long been thought to strike only the elderly, but around four per cent of sufferers are under 65. This form of the disease is known as early-onset Alzheimer’s.

The cause is unknown, but studies have recently uncovered genetic links between sufferers who are diagnosed at younger ages.

Symptoms of the disease get worse over time, and can eventually rob patients of their memories.

Charities have poured millions of pounds into scientific projects in the hope of understanding the disease better.

Around 850,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, which is a group of symptoms that affect memory and reasoning. Alzheimer’s disease falls under this.

The disease is life-limiting, however most patients will die from complications, such as infections and blood clots.

‘We take each day as they come. He’s the love of my life and I would do anything for him. It is so upsetting.

‘Matt still has so many things still left to do, but he is having trouble with many things now. It’s heartbreaking to see.’

Raising money

The couple are now raising money for Mr Oliver, who was diagnosed when he sought help for his memory problems, to visit his son Robbie, who lives in Germany.

They also hope to raise awareness of early onset Alzheimer’s, which occurs when the disease strikes patients before they turn 65.

Alzheimer’s has long been thought to strike only the elderly, but around four per cent of sufferers are under 65.

The cause is unknown, but studies have recently uncovered genetic links between sufferers who are diagnosed at younger ages.

Around 850,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is the most common. More than five million people in the US have Alzheimer’s.

The disease is life-limiting, however most patients will die from complications, such as infections and blood clots.

Alzheimer’s has long been thought to strike only the elderly, but around four per cent of sufferers are under 65. The cause is unknown, but studies have recently uncovered genetic links between sufferers who are diagnosed at younger ages

Mr Oliver also worked as a military contractor in the Middle East (pictured in the US military)

‘Not enough support’

Speaking about the fundraising page, Ms Ward said: ‘There isn’t enough support out there at the moment.

‘I am raising this money for him because his wish is to go to Germany to spend time with his son that he loves more than life itself.

‘He also wants to travel to New York to spend time with his family there while he still can and if possible to mark a few items off his bucket.’

Anyone wanting to donate to Mr Oliver’s fund can do so here.

Mr Oliver’s story comes just two weeks after MailOnline reported on a British woman who was diagnosed with the same disease at 44.

Shelley Sheppard, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed in November 2017, and now struggles to recall simple words such as ‘apple’ or ‘salmon’.

For years she refused to believe anything was wrong, even accusing her family of ganging up on her when they noticed lapses in her memory.

But now husband Paul, 49, has to write the date and even the year on a whiteboard each day before he leaves for work so she doesn’t become disorientated.

Mrs Sheppard, who also has two grandsons, contemplated suicide when she was given the heartbreaking news, Mr Sheppard revealed.

The couple are now raising money for Mr Oliver, who was diagnosed when he sought help for his memory problems, to visit his son Robbie (pictured), who lives in Germany

Speaking about the fundraising page, Ms Ward, who lives with Mr Oliver, said: ‘There isn’t enough support out there at the moment’

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