The heartbreaking struggle of a mother to conceal her fading memory was only fully understood by her family after she moved into a care home. For Dawnie Brooks, what began as unexplained lapses was a battle with young-onset Alzheimer's, a condition initially dismissed by doctors as stress and menopause.
A Hidden Struggle Revealed
It was while clearing out her mother's Worcestershire home in 2018 that Rosie Brooks, then 39, uncovered the painful truth. Amid piles of paperwork, she found evidence of a desperate cover-up. Dawnie, then 59, had taken sick leave from her job as a support worker for a brain injury charity. Rosie discovered records of minor car accidents and fines for vehicle damage, all kept secret. "She'd kept it hidden from us, as she was clearly ashamed – especially as she had been a motorbike instructor when she was younger," Rosie from Gloucester explains.
The first alarming signs had appeared earlier at the stables of their shared horse, Mr Bud. Dawnie, who had cared for him for 18 years, suddenly couldn't remember how to put on a bridle or use basic tools. "She would forget to fill his water bucket or keep his vaccinations up to date, which she had never done before," Rosie recalls. During an afternoon tea, the trained chef picked up a scone, looked confused, and ate it like a cupcake, without jam or butter.
Missed Chances and a Devastating Delay
With a family history of Alzheimer's, Rosie's concerns grew. However, when she and her brother Jake took their mother to the GP, their fears were dismissed. The doctor attributed Dawnie's memory loss to stress, depression, and menopause. This began a 15-month period where critical opportunities for diagnosis were missed.
Dawnie visited her GP repeatedly over two years, knowing something was wrong. Even a brain scan in 2018, following an eye bleed, failed to detect the dementia. It was only a year later, upon review, that a consultant psychiatrist spotted shrinkage in the parietal lobe – a clear indicator. "There were so many missed chances. She kept getting told she was too young," says Rosie. The delay was devastating, watching her mother's personality slip away without answers or support.
A Swift Decline and a Legacy of Care
In March 2019, Dawnie was finally diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's, a condition affecting over 70,800 people in the UK. Her decline was rapid. Rosie became a full-time carer, with Jake helping at weekends. They created joyful moments, ticking off bucket-list experiences like a helicopter ride and trips to Cadbury World. Despite the hardship, Dawnie never forgot who her family were. "You could see it in the way she looked at us, held our hands. We were lucky," Rosie says.
Support from the Alzheimer's Society proved invaluable, offering guidance and a befriending service that helped Dawnie visit Mr Bud one last time. However, by late 2022, she experienced hallucinations and paranoia. She lost her ability to speak in 2023 and, by 2024, could no longer eat. Dawnie passed away in April 2024 at the age of 63.
Inspired by her mother's experience and the care they received, Rosie is now training to become a mental health nurse. "I want to do something meaningful. People helped us in our darkest moments, and now I want to do the same for others," she explains. Her story is a poignant call for greater awareness, urging that symptoms in younger women be investigated thoroughly, beyond easy attributions like menopause.
