A ski instructor has become one of the youngest people to be diagnosed with dementia, having been struck by the disease at just 31 years old.
Becky Barletta, from Suffolk, was diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia last year, which mainly affects the front and sides of the brain and causes problems with behaviour and language.
Becky, now 32, requires round-the-clock care and is currently living in her parents home so they can provide extra support.
The newlywed began experiencing symptoms ahead of her wedding to husband Luca, but friends and family initially mistook her change in mood for pre-wedding stress. They’re now crowdfunding for donations to advance dementia research.
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Becky with husband Luca.
Becky’s sister, Sophie Gilbert, explained that Becky was diagnosed following a series of brain scans and written tests after family begged her to get tested.
Sadly, the disease runs in the family and the sisters’ cousin Philipa died from it in her forties while their uncle James died from the disease in his fifties.
“They say the younger the patient the more rapid it can be and it has been very rapid. There is not much of our old Becky left. She repeats the same stories to us and says inappropriate things,” Sophie told Cambridge News.
“I find it hard when we go out, she is off down the street asking people if they can make a funny noise and that sort of thing.
“It is not because I am embarrassed, but because I find it so sad to watch. Some people are amazing and do the noises and chat with her but then there are some who [do] not understand, because she looks well from the outside, and can be quite short with her.”
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Becky with her nephew.
Sophie added that Becky has always wanted to become a mum, but she was diagnosed before she and Luca began trying for children.
Sophie is herself a mum-of-two and is now concerned about the prospect of her children being diagnosed with the disease.
The family has now organised a charity walk for the Alzheimer’s Society to raise money for dementia research.
“We need to change this as soon as possible and can only do this through research and raising money to support this research.
“Whilst unfortunately this will not help Becky, we know she would want us to try and halt this vile disease in its tracks for the benefit of the future generations in our family and other families who have been affected by dementia.”
The JustGiving page has so far raised more than £4,800. You can donate here.
Early Symptoms of Dementia
No Initiative (01 of10)
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At times everyone can become tired of housework, business activities, or social obligations. However a person with dementia may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or appear to lose interest in hobbies. (credit:John Rensten via Getty Images)
Changes in Personality (02 of10)
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A person with dementia may seem different from his or her usual self in ways that are difficult to pinpoint. A person may become suspicious, irritable, depressed, apathetic or anxious and agitated especially in situations where memory problems are causing difficulties. (credit:fStop Images - Carl Smith via Getty Images)
Mood Changes(03 of10)
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Everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. A person with dementia may become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason. Alternatively a person with dementia may show less emotion than was usual previously. (credit:Mike Chick via Getty Images)
Misplace Things (04 of10)
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Anyone can temporarily misplace his or her wallet or keys. A person with dementia may put things in unusual places such as an iron in the fridge or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. (credit:Oli Kellett via Getty Images)
Problems With Keeping Track of Things (05 of10)
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A person with dementia may find it difficult to follow a conversation or keep up with paying their bills. (credit:Chris Red via Getty Images)
Increasingly poor Judgement(06 of10)
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People with dementia may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers of clothes on a warm day or very few on a cold day. (credit:Jessica Peterson via Getty Images)
Distortion of Time and Place (07 of10)
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We sometimes forget the day of the week or where we are going but people with dementia can become lost in familiar places such as the road they live in, forget where they are or how they got there, and not know how to get back home. A person with dementia may also confuse night and day. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Problems With Language(08 of10)
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Occasionally everyone has trouble finding the right word but a person with dementia often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making speech or writing hard to understand. (credit:Jupiterimages via Getty Images)
Difficulty Performing Familiar Tasks(09 of10)
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People with dementia often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them. A person with dementia may not know in what order to put clothes on or the steps for preparing a meal. (credit:Anthony Harvie via Getty Images)
Memory Loss(10 of10)
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Declining memory, especially short-term memory, is the most common early symptom of dementia. People with ordinary forgetfulness can still remember other facts associated with the thing they have forgotten. For example, they may briefly forget their next-door neighbour's name but they still know the person they are talking to is their next-door neighbour. A person with dementia will not only forget their neighbour's name but also the context. (credit:Compassionate Eye Foundation via Getty Images)