"This mission continues, as does the devastation that dementia inflicts on our family, step by step."“I’m going to run 32 marathons in 32 consecutive days across the island,” said Jordan Adams, 30, to the crowd that came to cheer him on Wednesday in County Donegal, Northern Ireland. His challenge seems crazy: he is running 32 marathons in 32 consecutive days across the island, with an expected arrival in Dublin on May 28.
Jordan Adams is assisted by his 25-year-old brother, Cian, who does most of the cycling. The duo set off in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 24 hours after the London Marathon. Jordan and Cian are known as the FTD brothers, an acronym for frontotemporal dementia.
Their mother, Geraldine, was diagnosed with this rare degenerative disease in 2010 at the age of 47. Overnight, at just 9 and 15 years old, they, along with their father and older sister, became caregivers for their mother, who ultimately died at 52 in 2016.
Two years later, Jordan learned that he carried the MAPT gene mutation: the probability that he would develop the same early form of dementia was 99.9%. The same was true for Cian. "It's a cruel disease that has taken 12 Irish relatives, including my grandmother and my aunt."Jordan, who lives in central England, told AFP. “We wanted to come to Ireland, where all this devastation began, to pay tribute to them.”
Jordan has already run seven marathons in seven days
Images of Jordan Adams in tears at the finish line of the London Marathon, a refrigerator strapped to his back, are among the most striking of the race. It was "surreal," the runner said. The refrigerator was a symbol of this "heavy burden"invisible to others. "I do this to make dementia visible."Jordan explained to reporters.
He crossed the finish line with Cian, who stayed by his side to spray him with water. “We share the same diagnosis and the same future. I know our mother looked at us with great pride.” during the race. The two brothers are no strangers to extreme challenges: they ran across the UK two years ago and Jordan has already run seven marathons in seven days.
The fact that Cian is a physiotherapist is a "An asset." "We have developed a training plan over the past six months.", he explains. "For now, as long as it lasts, her legs are holding up well."The brothers have set themselves the goal of raising one million pounds sterling for Alzheimer's research. By Thursday morning, they had already raised over 700,000 pounds (808,000 euros). Half of these funds will be donated to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI), which supports people living with the disease.
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"What Jordan and Cian are doing is incredible, we are extremely grateful to them."
Around 64,000 people have some form of dementia in Ireland, a country of 5.3 million inhabitants, explains Carol Molloy, who works for the ASI – a figure that is expected to rise to 150,000 by 2050. One in ten of them has an early-onset form.
"What Jordan and Cian are doing is incredible, we are extremely grateful to them," Carol Molloy greets them. Dozens of residents from County Donegal joined the two brothers for their run.
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Among them is Sean McFadden, a runner from Letterkenny who recently lost his father to dementia. "We must open our hearts to them and hope that everything goes well for these two guys."said the 50-year-old man. "It's a very tough disease. Being able to join them today is something truly special." he added before setting off.
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