32 marathons in 32 days... in memory of my mother

A man diagnosed with a form of early onset dementia is undertaking an extraordinary endurance challenge across Ireland that will bring him to Cork city.

Jordan Adams, 30, aims to run 32 marathons across 32 counties in Ireland, to raise money for research into his health condition. His trek will bring him to Cork on May 18.

Jordan and his brother, Cian, have both been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia, (FTD), which claimed the life of their beloved mum Geraldine and 12 of their relatives.

“We’ll probably get symptoms of the disease in our mid-forties,” says Jordan.

It is a harrowing race against time, but the brothers, who are from England but have Irish ancestry, want to make the most of it by raising £1million for research into FTD.

Before the Irish challenge commenced, Jordan took on the London Marathon in an extraordinary show of resilience, running the full 26.2 miles carrying a 25kg fridge on his back to raise awareness and capture attention for the cause.

From there, he went straight to Belfast for the Irish challenge, which will bring him to Killarney on day 21, on to Cork city the next day, and from there to Tipperary town, ending the run in Dublin on May 28.

Jordan’s goal is to raise £100,000 from the Irish challenge, and he is already halfway to that target.

Clearly, he is driven by emotion, and a will to make the most of his health while he has it.

“Mum died from the disease age just 52,” says Jordan, who helped care for her for six years from the age of 15.

“Caring for mum, seeing her become less and less of the person she was, and doing things that no child should go through was extremely difficult,” adds Jordan, who is originally from Redditch, Worcestershire.

“I was the oldest and I reassured her when she got confused and could no longer walk or talk. I tried to make her feel safe.”

Jordan did what his mother had always done for her family. “I fed her and gave her drinks of water when she needed them,” he says.

“I carried her to the bathroom to wash her. My priority was to be there for mum and give her the best care. School, college, and a job were not a priority. They went on the back burner.

“We looked after mum 24/7 until she died in March, 2016.”

Jordan and younger brother, Cian, carried a huge weight on their young shoulders.

“Each of us had a cross to bear with the weight of our circumstances, knowing that we faced dementia in the future,” says Jordan.

“Thankfully, our sister, Kennedy, tested negative for the gene.”

Geraldine Adams was a proud lady.

“She was incredibly proud of her connection with her Irish heritage,” says Jordan.

“Physically, mum had Irish features. She had curly hair, big blue eyes, and a big smile. She was an attractive lady.”

Geraldine was an all-rounder.

“Mum was vivacious and very outgoing. She was generous,” says Jordan. “She loved music and socialising with her friends.”

She was a storyteller.

“Mum could recall stories from her childhood and about her Irish relatives.”

Geraldine sadly changed over time as the debilitating disease took hold of her.

“In 2008/2009, we noticed mum becoming withdrawn, and she experienced low moods. She struggled with memory.”

They were symptoms of FTD, and the brothers later discovered they had the same gene that leads to the condition.

“Our Irish blood and our Irish DNA mean we must live a life shorter than most,” Jordan says. “Dad pushed us to get a diagnosis. Each of us had a 50/50 chance of getting FTD. At first, we didn’t understand.”

Then they came to understand the enormity of inheriting the rogue gene.

“We can expect symptoms in the next ten to 15 years,” says Jordan, whose grandad was from Longford and whose nan was from Leitrim.

The outcome is stark.

“There is no cure,” says Jordan. “There is no treatment. Ultimately, we have a terminal diagnosis. That is the reality. At one point we didn’t really understand. We were in denial.”

Once they accepted their fate, Jordan and Cian - who made a memorable appearance on The Tommy Tiernan Show last year to discuss their plight and their Irish roots - set out to raise funds for research into FTD.

They ran the length of the UK in 2024 and try to look on the bright side of life.

“I have my health now,” says Jordan, who married Agnes two years ago.

“Advocating, raising awareness for FTD through endurance challenges is my mission.”

He knows the road ahead of him is a tough one.

“Having watched the whole journey with mum, and knowing it is something I will have to face myself; it has completely changed my perspective on life.

“I tend to focus on things I can have an impact on.

“One of those things is creating positive change in the world of dementia, and creating a space and a community that didn’t exist for the 15-year-old me.”

“It was really difficult,” says Jordan as he reflects on his years looking after his mother.

“Caring for a parent resonated with each of us. I suffered from ongoing depression and am not fully cured of it.

“I decided to do something positive,” says Jordan.

“I took on endurance challenges to raise awareness about dementia. It is a coping mechanism for me.”

How?

“It gave me peace of mind and took me a bit further away from grief after losing mum,” says Jordan.

“Making something positive out of our situation had a direct positive effect.”

Jordan will have a positive effect on everyone he meets while he is running 32 marathons in 32 days across Ireland.

“I want people to approach me,” he says. “I want to engage with communities. I want to talk to locals about their personal experiences with dementia.”

He wants to go the whole nine yards.

“I want to sit down and have a pint and chat with people,” says Jordan.

He has strong, determined Irish genes inherited from his grandad and from his nana.

“I am totally immersed in this,” says Jordan of his running challenge.

He is immersed in living his life to the full, and has plans to unwind for after his Irish challenge.

“Agnes and I are hoping to take off to the USA in June in our camper van. It’s on my bucket list.

“Spending time with the family is important too.”

People are encouraged to come out to support Jordon’s marathon journey in the next month, and to cheer him on in his quest to raise awareness about the disease that stole his mother and his loved ones from him much too early.

“Raising awareness is my mission in life,” he says,

He has another one too during his run through Ireland’s 32 counties.

“I hope to visit family in Longford,” says Jordan.

“And all going well look forward to celebrating in Dublin when the journey ends.”

See: FDT Brothers Foundation on Facebook.

Alzheimer Society of Ireland helpline:1800 341 341.