March 28, 2024

Mother-of-five, 44, is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease

Shelley Sheppard, from Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in November 2017. A mother-of-five was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at just 44 – after her family worried about her forgetting her daughters‘ parents’ evenings.

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 soshe doesn’t become disorientated.

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

Her memory has become so poor that she has to stay in the kitchen while cooking because she would only remember the food if the fire alarm went off.

Mrs Sheppard, speaking about her diagnosis for the first time, said: ‘To hear those words, that I had early-onset Alzheimer’s – it was absolutely devastating.

‘There has been a lot of tears. It’s having a huge impact on life and it’s only going to get worse over time.

‘My daughters are 25 Alesha, 23 Chloe, 21 Keira, 16 Kaylea and 15 Shannon. I told them and was just met with utter disbelief.

‘The youngest two, Shannon and Kaylea, are in counselling to help them come to terms with the diagnosis and understand it. They’re still at home and see a lot more than the others.

‘We’re just taking every day as it comes. We are just trying to get through. ’

Mrs Sheppard was a carer for her mother, Anne Nisbet, before she died aged 72 in November 2015.

Her husband believes it was witnessing her mother’s passing in their own front room that triggered ongoing trauma for his wife.

Stress has repeatedly been linked to dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is the most common form – but no concrete evidence yet exists to prove the theory.

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 (pictured with her two youngest daughters, left: Kaylea, 16, and right: Shannon, 15)

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.

Throughout her mother’s struggle with lung cancer, Mr Sheppard would tell her he was worried about her memory – but the family just passed it off as stress-related.

Mrs Sheppard said: ‘I’d personally never had any concerns about my memory but I went to the GP with dizziness last year and was referred to the Kings Mill Hospital’s Ear Nose and Throat department Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

‘I was then sent for an MRI which showed I’d had a silent stroke. Many people will have them and never realise. It affected my brain function. ’

Vascular dementia, another form of the disease, can occur when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, such as through a stroke. However, there is no evidence to link it to Alzheimer’s.

Mrs Sheppard added: ‘My husband mentioned about my memory then because he’d noticed things were getting quite bad.

‘My mum had lung cancer and I had been her carer so we thought it was just the stress of looking after her.

‘I was referred for cognitive testing at The Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, where the specialist said he didn’t think it was dementia but after a PET scan, they discovered Alzheimer’s.

‘I had further tests done at home then got a phone call from the Working Age Dementia Service at Kirkby-in-Ashfield. I went to see a clinical psychologist and that’s when I was given the diagnosis. ’

Mrs Sheppard had started to miss important events and meetings after her mother’s death.

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

She only came to terms with something being seriously wrong when she started missing her daughter’s parents’ evening and admits she originally thought her family were ‘ganging up on her’.

Mrs Sheppard said: ‘Last March, Paul said to me “why didn’t you go to Shannon’s parents’ evening? I’ve been telling you for weeks”. I’d completely forgotten. It was as if he’d never told me.

‘The school send texts to keep parents up-to-date and Shannon had given me a letter about it but I’d completely forgotten. By the time I realised, it was too late to go. It’s heart-breaking.

‘The kids would come in and speak to Paul about going out with friends and I would have no idea what they were talking about.

‘They would say they had told me but I was adamant they hadn’t, it was so confusing. Paul and I have never argued, but we started to have these little spats.

‘The more and more the kids and Paul would tell me about things that I couldn’t remember, the more I felt like they were all doing it to gang up on me. It was really hurtful. ’

She added: ‘It made me so angry. I just kept asking myself “why would they say these things? ” I felt they were trying to make me look stupid.

‘When I forget it doesn’t feel like I can’t remember, it feels like things never happened. It felt like everybody I loved was lying to me. ’

Mrs Sheppard, who also has two grandsons, contemplated suicide when she was given the heartbreaking news, Mr Sheppard revealed (pictured on their wedding day in 2002)

Up to now, Mrs Sheppard can handle being home alone while her husband works as a deputy store manager. But she uses diaries and memos to remember important details, such as the day or year (pictured on their wedding day in 2002)

Mrs Sheppard has found it difficult to come to terms with the disease as she feels there is little to no support for younger Alzheimer’s sufferers.

According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, only four per cent of people with the disease are under 65.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s tends to affect people in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

Although there are groups and clubs for older patients, she feels it would be a startling window into her future if she attended them and fears it could make her worse.

Up to now, Mrs Sheppard can handle being home alone while her husband works as a deputy store manager.

But she uses diaries and memos to remember important details, such as the day or year.

Mr Sheppard, who has been married to Shelley for almost 16 years, admits things can be ‘very difficult’.

He said: ‘It’s obviously very difficult. It came as a shock to everybody and I think the worst part is the fact that we don’t know how long it’s going to be until the person we love isn’t going to know who we are.

Mrs Sheppard, speaking about her diagnosis for the first time, said: ‘To hear those words, that I had early-onset Alzheimer’s – it was absolutely devastating’ (pictured in 1983 with her cousin Wendy Hall and aunt Janice Maddison, whose wedding it was)

Her memory has become so poor that she has to stay in the kitchen while cooking because she would only remember the food if the fire alarm went off (pictured with her husband Paul, 49, and two daughters Kaylea and Shannon)

Mrs Sheppard has found it difficult to come to terms with the disease as she feels there is little to no support for younger Alzheimer’s sufferers

‘When Shelley’s diagnosis properly sunk in, she sat me down and told me she wasn’t going to put me through having to look after her and explained that she could take her own life.

‘Realising that this is a lifetime thing had got her quite low and depressed. I was absolutely devastated to hear her talk like that.

‘The worst thing is I couldn’t tell her it would get better, I felt completely helpless. All I can do is explain to her that no matter what she will never be a burden.

‘Shelley has always looked after us and she’s always been able to keep on top of five things at once. This illness has taken that away from her, now she needs our help. ’

Mrs Sheppard and her husband are due a third grandchild in May as their daughter Keira is currently pregnant, with her partner Corey Eadson’s baby.

However, the couple worry what the future holds for Mrs Sheppard’s relationship with the baby if her memory deteriorates rapidly.

Keira and Corey also have a little boy called Layton, four, and Chloe has a little boy called Jaiden, also four, with her partner Simon Mitchell, 25.
Mr Sheppard, who has been married to Shelley for almost 16 years, admits things can be ‘very difficult’ (pictured with her husband Paul)

Mrs Sheppard only came to terms with something being seriously wrong when she started missing her daughter’s parents’ evening and admits she originally thought her family were ‘ganging up on her’ (pictured with husband Paul)

Mrs Sheppard was a carer for her mother before she died aged 72 in November 2015. Her husband believes it was witnessing her mother’s passing in their own front room that triggered the disease (pictured on her wedding day in 2002 with her five daughters and another child)

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