A 47-year-old mother from Tennessee has shared her story after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, having initially attributed her symptoms to pregnancy and postpartum 'mom brain'. Staci Marklin, from Knoxville, first noticed something was wrong in 2024 when she began to mix up words, saying 'move the carpet' instead of 'move the curtain'.
She also experienced moments of severe memory loss, including forgetting a close coworker entirely. 'Someone once asked me about a co-worker, and I had absolutely no idea who they were talking about,' she said. Her family history of Alzheimer's raised concerns, but a doctor told her that having it at her age would be 'rare'.
After a series of tests, including an amyloid PET scan that revealed plaques in her brain, Staci was formally diagnosed in October 2024. Her cognitive function level was in the bottom 0-10% for her age group. 'We cried together and knew nothing would ever be the same again,' she recalled.
Now, Staci has started a new treatment, lecanemab (brand name Leqembi), and is speaking out about the stigma surrounding Alzheimer's in younger people. 'People generally see this as an older person's disease... It was difficult for me to get people to believe me,' she said.
She has been creating TikTok videos for her family, including her husband Erik and son Gunnar, to remember her by. The Alzheimer's Association offers support via 800.272.3900.
