Most of us children of Alzheimer's parents fear the disease, but we know chances are good that we won't have it. When Alzheimer's begins to show up in several siblings, it becomes a frightening thing. That's what happened in Bea Gorman's family. In her book that tells the story "Will I Be Next?" [1] , Bea shared her family tree. Not only did Bea's mother, Susie, have Alzheimer's, but so did two brothers and two sisters. Four out of eight of Bea's siblings developed early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
The type of Alzheimer's disease that struck Bea's family is rare. Having three or more family members who developed Alzheimer's early in life is a sign of familial Alzheimer's disease. Genetic testing is recommended in such a case. Probably half of those who inherit the gene that causes this familial Alzheimer's will develop the disease. [2] Only about 5% of those with Alzheimer's disease have this type according to the Alzheimer's Association [3] Other sources differ a bit, saying it is 5-10% [4] and still another source says 10-15% [5] One other source says that familiar Alzheimer's is extremely rare accounting for only 1% of all cases [6] Perhaps the difference in the percentages can be accounted for by the fact that some sources may include more early-onset cases that are not necessarily familial.
Like so many of us, the disease that touched her family spurred Bea Gorman on to do something about it. She contacted well-known physicians and researchers and attended support groups and conferences to learn more about this disease. She even began her own local support group which grew into a network of many groups and came to be known as The Alzheimer's Aid Society of Northern California. [7] Her story gives hope to other families afflicted with Alzheimer's, and the second half of her book, "Help for the Caregiver" provides practical tips for surviving caregiving. After spending 25 of their 50 years together helping caregivers, Bea and her husband, Johnny, continue to answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as people call for help.
Some of us can do a little, like me; others can do a lot, like Bea Gorman. By the way, have you been thinking about this year's Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk yet? Check out the site - http://www.alz.org/memorywalk/ - and be sure to "Walk with Me", wherever you are!
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