FTD Brothers complete 31st marathon in aid of dementia in Tullamore
By Rebekah O'Reilly
Huge crowds gathered in Tullamore's Lloyd Park on Tuesday of this week as brothers Jordan and Cian Adams, both living with a rare genetic mutation linked to frontotemporal dementia, reached day 31 of their heroic challenge.
The brothers, from the small town of Redditch in Worcestershire, are currently undertaking an extraordinary challenge, running 33 marathons in 33 days, including one in each county across Ireland, to raise awareness and funds for research into frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
For Jordan, 30, and his younger brother Cian, 25, it is also a race against time, an effort to fit as much as possible into their lives before developing familial frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the disease that claimed the life of their mother, Geraldine.
Their mother Geraldine, who was born to Irish parents, died at the age of 52 after developing the condition.
Talking further about their connection to Ireland, Jordan and Cian said it was through medical research in Ireland that the cause of FTD was finally identified.
"Our nan was one of six siblings, heartbreakingly, four of those six developed familial Frontotemporal Dementia. Between those four siblings, there were 13 children, including our mum and our auntie. Of those 13 cousins, eight went on to develop and later pass away from FTD. For decades, dementia quietly and relentlessly affected our family. Generation after generation lived through repeated loss without answers, explanations, or understanding of why this kept happening."
Speaking after day 31 of the challenge, Jordan Adams said he is proud he "got to reflect the person my mom was to so many people".
"This challenge is nearing it's end. What feels like the pinnacle of eight years of hard work and sacrifice, a mission to create a legacy for my family and bring hope to families living with dementia. This moment in time is no coincidence, it's grounded in lived experience, and built on pain and grief. This mission, my life's work, is my way of honouring my mom and the life she poured into my childhood.
"Because I have been dealt a cruel hand but I have also been blessed in life, And the past 31 days have made all the dark days, all the days where I thought no one cared or nobody was listening, worth quitting my job, worth quitting the sport I loved so much, worth the insanity of convincing myself I could have an impact on the world.
"It is you guys who have sacrificed your time to come out and support us, who have made the world stop and listen, but more importantly, you have enabled me to die a happy man. Knowing that one day when FTD comes for me, this past 33 days existed. If kindness could cure dementia, Ireland would have cured it 10 times over."
As of Wednesday, May 27, the brothers fundraising page has amassed £1,519,187 raised of their £1,700,000 goal from some 62.3K donations. Funds raised will support the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the work of the brothers non-profit, the FTD Brothers Foundation. A total of 50% of all donations will be donated directly to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.
To donate, go to: https://theftdbrothers.com/pages/donate