Newlywed 32-Year-Old Woman Diagnosed With Dementia Could Be The Youngest Case In UK

A newlywed 32-year-old woman has left her family in tears after she was diagnosed with a rare form of dementia in what could be the youngest case in the UK.

Former ski instructor Becky Barletta has the whole world ahead of her — she just got married, had plans of travelling and helping other people, but all were cut short after she was diagnosed with the hereditary condition, frontotemporal dementia.

Becky, from Hundon, Suffolk, is believed to be one of the youngest patients in the UK to be battling the incurable disease affecting the frontal lobes of the brain which are responsible for social behaviour and intelligence.

Becky used to work up to just 18 months ago as a ski instructor, teaching the families of millionaires how to negotiate the slopes around the luxury resort of Verbier in Switzerland.

But just five months after she married fellow ski instructor Luca Barletta in October 2015, her parents, Allan Sharples, 68, and Caroline, 61, became worried about a sudden change in her behaviour. “She started talking in an inappropriate way to clients, saying how she wanted to be pregnant and talking about periods. It was all in an anti social way which was out of context,” Mr Sharples said.

He said that Becky showed signs that were chillingly familiar to him as Becky’s uncle, James, who was aged in his 50s, and her mother’s cousin had already died from frontotemporal dementia within the previous ten years. Becky’s uncle died four years ago.

So, last August, Mr Sharples took Becky to the dementia specialist Professor James Rowe who had earlier diagnosed her uncle with the condition at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, where doctors confirmed that Becky is suffering from the condition.

Mr Sharples said they asked Professor Rowe whether Becky’s being a ski instructor triggered the condition as she had a few falls while skiing, but Professor Rowe said ‘he believed that they were probably just born with it, although the hospital has been unable to identify the faulty gene.’

“We always knew Rebecca as this vivacious young woman who was doing everything. It has been horrendous for our family. It was one thing to have Caroline’s brother have it when he was in his 50s, but when it is your own daughter who is not much older than 30, it is just tragic” Mr Sharples said.

Just 12 months after being diagnosed, Becky now lives in her parents’ home in Hundon near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. She needs round-the-clock care as her decline since the diagnosis has been rapid, and has been given just five years to live.

Luca is still working as a ski instructor during the winter and managing a hostel for hikers and climbers in the Italian Alps during the summer, but he is making regular visits back to Suffolk to see Becky.

Becky’s sister, Sophie has created a JustGiving page to raise funds towards research.

“There is currently no cure or treatment for any dementia or even treatment to stop or slow its progression.

“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 it’s tracks for the benefit of the future generations in our family and other families who have been affected by dementia.

“Around 225,000 people develop dementia every year that’s the equivalent to one person every three minutes.”

Source: Dailymail.co.uk