Young Onset Dementia & Parkinson’s Disease

Letter of Appreciation – Young Veteran Families

June 25, 2020

Dear Veteran Heroes  

As a caregiver of a Veteran spouse for 10 years, I would like to publicly recognized our family’s Veterans Heroes, Richard Payne for coordinating with the American Legion 2001, Loudoun County Veterans Family Services, Veterans of Foreign Affairs 1177 and Mannix Heating and Cooling.  Overwhelmingly, I greatly appreciate their acts of kindness with their compassion and empathy when providing our family with the installation of new air conditioner. 

At the age of 46 years old, my husband was diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia and Parkinson’s disease due to serving our country and being exposed occupationally and environmentally to harmful hazardous and toxic chemicals.  Due to my husband illness, autoimmune nervous system he no longer able to regulate his body’s temperature, and living in extreme high temperatures is dangerous to his health.

Unfortunately, my husband is no longer able to work, and his illness prevents him from physically and cognitively make repairs or maintenance to our home of 18 years.  While waiting for lengthy process of Veterans Benefits Administration’s to award my husband’s disability compensation, we are often faced with financial challenges, which prevents us from doing many things.

Being young when my husband was diagnosed, we were both in the prime of careers while raising 3 young school aged children; a 5, 7 and 8.   Robert worked 20 years as an engineer for Nokia, and I worked 18 years in Sales for IBM.  Currently we are still facing main struggles as we wait for my husband’s disability compensation to be awarded.

Without much warning, Robert’s rapid progression hit our family like a tsunami, causing severe impact to every aspect of our lives – financial, emotional, mental, physical, and social.  Unfortunately, during our most critical time of need, we realized that the home visits and phones calls suddenly ceased leaving us completely without a support system, which includes all of our family members, friends, neighbor and community.

While seeking support and outreach resources for my family to survive, I shockingly discovered a tremendous number of individuals, including healthcare professionals, social workers, faith-based organizations, and communities lack the awareness towards Young Onset Dementia.  The devastating dynamics I endured over the past decade stem from the unsurmountable barriers of stigmatism, discrimination, disrespect and the health disparities between Older Onset population and the Young Onset who do not have age appropriate dementia care plans or services due to the criteria of being 65 years or older.  More importantly, I have experienced several instances of racial disparities and social injustice.  

The tremendous impact from this horrific disease affects not only the patient, but the entire family, who suffers a great deal when a loved one is endures the worst illness of having dementia.  Going forward, I have made it my life’s mission to advocate and continue the fight by increasing the awareness and bringing to light the health and mental inequities of Young Onset Dementia, Caregivers, and the Young Children Caregivers, who suffer from the atrocities in silence from the lack of resources, support, programs, and respite services to be tailored specifically to the Young Onset Dementia population and their families.