SPOKANE, Wash. – On May 30, 2024, the Alzheimer’s Association is holding their walk kickoff event at Brick West Brewing Co. to raise money towards finding a cure for Alzheimer’s.
Nonstop Local spoke with one local woman who lives with early-onset Alzheimer’s every day.
This is Erin Gillingham. She is 57 years old, and her life has not been the same since her diagnosis.
Gillingham worked as a nurse for 30 years in several different departments, ranging from the NICU to instructing other nurses.
A few years ago, her supervisors at work started to notice that she was not entirely herself. She would lose her train of thought often and struggle with regular tasks.
Eventually, they put her on leave. During that time, she went to a doctor to figure out what was going on. That’s when she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.
After a while, she had to leave her career entirely because of her diagnosis, which was very difficult for her.
“I didn’t have a purpose anymore,” said Gillingham. “My passion was nursing. I loved it. I just miss it so much, and I’ve never wanted to do anything else. Now I don’t have anything…”
Erin’s diagnosis didn’t just impact her; it also affected her son, Mitchell Gillingham.
Mitchell’s parents have been separated since he was only one year old.
He lived with his mom throughout his entire childhood. They always had a great relationship and were super close. She was the “chill mom,” so Mitchell always had his friends over, and many considered her a second mom.
When Mitchell turned 18, he moved to California and wasn’t sure if he would ever come back until he found out in 2023 that his mom had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Living by herself was only going to get harder.
About a month later, on his 25th birthday, he drove all the way back to Spokane to live closer to her and help her when she needed it. However, it was not an easy transition. His mom wasn’t exactly the same when he came home.
She struggled to hold a train of thought, was less confident in her decision-making, and made socially awkward comments that didn’t land the right way with Mitchell’s friends and family.
On top of that, Mitchell had to bear more responsibility. He says it’s hard to be her caretaker when all you’ve ever been is her son. It’s even harder when you don’t know what the future holds.
“You don’t know how bad it’s going to get, how fast,” said Mitchell. “The uncertainty is heavy…”
Mitchell hopes that someone finds a cure for Alzheimer’s so his mom can go back to the way she was before her diagnosis.
If you would like to donate to the Alzheimer’s Association, click here.
