Cherishing each moment GIVES ME HOPE!

Karen Sandone's world was turned upside down when her husband, Anthony, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at age 55. Here, she shares their journey as they face heartbreak, find strength in support and hold tight to tiny moments of joy—especially during the holidays

- Gina Roberts-Grey

Around March of 2022, I started noticing something was off with my husband, Anthony. He was struggling with short-term memory loss, word recall and recognition. We'd been married for 13 years and had a large blended family. It wasn't like him. He's only 55 years old, I told myself.

Concerned, he underwent testing, including an MRI. After a followup that May, I was relieved when Anthony came home saying the neurologist assured him everything was fine. But over the following months, my worry grew as I noticed more troubling signs. Tasks that were once simple for him—like using everyday technology or navigating with a GPS—became challenging. And I couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right.

Because I have access to his medical patient portal, in September of that year I logged in and reviewed his neuropsychological evaluation results. I was both heartbroken and shocked to learn that the doctor had referred him to a specialist at a memory center three months earlier, but Anthony had attended the appointment alone and couldn't remember what they discussed.