With early Alzheimer’s in the family, these sisters decided to test for the gene

By Jon Hamilton for NPR on September 12, 2022

In some families, Alzheimer’s disease seems inevitable.

“Your grandmother has it, your mom has it, your uncle has it, your aunts have it, your cousin has it. I always assumed that I would have it,” says Karen Douthitt, 57.

“It was always in our peripheral vision,” says Karen’s sister June Ward, 61.

“Our own mother started having symptoms at age 62, so it has been a part of our life.”

Nearly a decade ago, Karen, June, and an older sister, Susie Gilliam, 64, set out to learn why Alzheimer’s was affecting so many family members.

Since then, each sister has found out whether she carries a rare gene mutation that makes Alzheimer’s inescapable. And all three have found ways to help scientists trying to develop treatments for the disease. here…

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