Kentish Express Ashford & District
Young dementia sufferer aims to live life to the full
A woman dying of dementia, who is not even 50, is joining a charity walk to help other sufferers this weekend.
She has also written to Prime Minister David Cameron calling for testing for 30- to 50-year-olds for the condition, which is usually associated with the elderly.
Lorayne Minahan was diagnosed with early-onset dementia in April, just a month after her 49th birthday.
She will join the Alzheimer’s Society Kent Memory Walk on Saturday at Leeds Castle.
Doctors have told her she has only two to eight years to live but she is determined to make the most of life and will marry her fiance, Simon Burgess, at Willesborough Windmill on her 50th birthday next March.
Mr Burgess, 44, a machine oper- ator, originally lived in Singleton until he moved to Lydd with Miss Minahan five years ago.
She said: “I want to raise awareness of this condition as demen- tia is the third biggest killer in the UK after cancer and heart disease.
“People think it’s an illness for the old but I have heard of people as young in their 30s getting it.”
Miss Minahan went to see her doctor after noticing early symptoms such as forgetfulness and misplacing items in the house.
She said: “Being diagnosed at such as young age came as a huge shock to my family and myself. It was devastating for us all.
“One of the hardest things for me is how my dementia has made it more difficult to look after my grandson.
“Luckily my son and daughter are great and support me all they can at home.
“I am determined to life live to the full, though.
“I am taking part in the Memory Walk with all my family and I will do it every year as long as I can.
More than 23,000 people are living with dementia in Kent
The Kent Memory Walk is one of several being organised by the Alzheimer’s Society nationwide throughout September.