Woman Inherits Gene for Early Onset Dementia After 14 Years of Uncertainty

Laura Sides now knows with 99.999% certainty that she will develop early onset Alzheimer's disease. She is 43 years old, and doctors predict she will begin showing symptoms between the ages of 46 and 48.

The timeline of Sides' diagnosis began in the late 1990s when her father, a general practitioner, was diagnosed with the same condition in his 40s. Sides dropped out of university to care for him as his Alzheimer's symptoms worsened. During a hospital visit, a doctor informed her that she had a 50 percent chance of inheriting the "London variant" of the disease. Sides described the statistic as a toss of a coin and pushed the news down as she continued caring for her father.

Her father died in 2009, one year after her mother passed away. Sides left the United Kingdom to travel solo around the world, eventually settling in Melbourne, Australia. By 2013, concerns about her genetic risk resurfaced, prompting her to see a specialist. The doctor explained that a genetic test could determine her status with extreme accuracy. Sides initially hesitated, feeling she was not ready for the answer. As she entered her 30s, she decided to proceed. She underwent six months of genetic counseling before taking the test. After a six-week wait for the laboratory results, a clinician told her she had inherited the gene.

Sides described the immediate aftermath as a blur. She went to lunch with a friend who cried, while Sides remained stoic. The emotional weight settled later, bringing anger and confusion about how to live with the knowledge. She returned to the UK to be near her sister, who was pregnant, but continued participating in medical trials before and after her diagnosis. She views her involvement in research as a positive outcome from a difficult situation.

Sides is currently preparing for the predicted onset of symptoms. She describes her life now as focused on immediate joy rather than long-term aspirations. She prioritizes time with family, nature, and water. She has decided against having children, citing a sense of fairness. She says she is grateful for the support of those around her and finds reassurance in being loved despite her diagnosis. She plans to spend the coming years doing simple things she enjoys, such as drinking champagne and eating oysters.

Sides notes that meeting new people remains challenging. She often wonders when to disclose her condition. While some relationships end after she shares the news, she has also been proven wrong by partners who stayed. She does not let the diagnosis keep her awake at night. She continues to live in the present, waiting for the first signs of decline.