'My dad got Alzheimer's at 60, like Fiona Phillips I'm terrified I'm next'
Alzheimer's Disease is something that Helen Khan worries about daily - from the panic she feels when she forgets why she opened the fridge, to forgetting someone's name.
The condition, which affects 900,000 people in the UK, runs in her dad's side of the family, and Helen has spent the last decade dreading that she may get it too one day.
When television presenter Fiona Phillips opened up to the Mirror yesterday about her Alzheimer's diagnosis at 61, it sparked fear in Helen, who is now 43.
"I instantly related to Fiona. There is honestly no worse news than that - being told you have a degenerative disease and not knowing what the future holds," she told the Mirror.
Alzheimer's disease runs in Helen's family and she could develop it one day too (Helen Khan)
Fiona Phillips revealed that she has the degenerative condition like her parents (S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Fiona was diagnosed with the illness a year ago after suffering months of brain fog and anxiety, and is now undergoing trials for a revolutionary new drug, Miridesap.
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Scientists hope the research, being trialled at University College Hospital, could slow or even reverse the illness for millions of future sufferers - one of whom could be Helen.
"My brother and I have been looking into clinical trials, as having Alzheimer's really worries us both. He has done a genetic test and was told that he does have the gene," Helen said.
"I won't take the test because I'd rather not know. There's not a lot you can do about it as it's incurable, so I'd rather just live my life at the moment and see what comes."
Helen and her brother, Paul, 41, know the disease runs in their dad's side of the family - with his mother and sister having it - and don't know of any history on their mum's.
Helen and her dad, Kevin, during 2017 when he was told that he had Alzheimer's in his sixties (Helen Khan)In August 2017, their dad, Kevin Frostick, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease at 68, though Helen said he began showing early signs a long while before then.
"He was around the age of 60 when we realised that something was going on. He lives in Thailand and he'd come back to see us up north," Helen explained.
"He couldn't seem to link things together properly and had trouble remembering. I suppose it was his short-term memory going."
Ever since, Kevin, now 74, has slowly been deteriorating, physically and mentally, which has been absolutely heart-shattering for Helen and her family to witness.
"As a family member, it's almost like you're grieving every time you see them because you've lost a little bit more of them," she explained.
Her brother Paul (left) has had tests done to confirm that he carries the hereditary gene (Helen Khan)"Sometimes, you might see glimpses of their personality or they might smile and recognise you, but then it goes away again. It's a very long and hard grieving process.
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"In my mind, it's happened really slowly. At the start, he would laugh about it and joke, 'good thing my wife can look after me'.
"Over time, it's taken different turns. There was a time when he was really scared and a time when he would get really angry.
"More recently, he's essentially gone. He is pretty much bedbound and doesn't recognise anybody or know who I am. He can't speak or watch TV.
"There will be points where I'll be sitting next to him and he won't realise I'm there."
Helen, who lives in Hertfordshire, makes sure to visit her dad in Thailand every year, though she already feels like she has lost her father figure to Alzheimer's.
The disease hangs over her head every day and she is doing everything she can to prevent the early signs, like maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Kevin, 74, is now sadly a shell of himself and has deteriorated over the last 14 years (Helen Khan)"I am very health conscious and try to workout and eat well. I have researched a lot and keeping your mind active really helps, which is why I recently joined a choir," she said.
Helen runs her own communications agency Helen Khan PR and works at University College London, where she often has conversations with doctors about Alzheimer's.
"I am already worrying about being forgetful. It's probably just me being paranoid, and I am a really busy person, but I do worry constantly about forgetting things," she said.
"If I go to the fridge and I can't remember what I've gone to get out, or I forget someone's name, it makes me stressed. I'm very aware of my own memory."
Finding a cure for Alzheimer's Disease is so important to Helen and her family. If you would like to donate towards Alzheimer's Research UK, you can visit their website.
Have you been diagnosed or know a close family member with Alzheimer's? Email [email protected].
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