diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD).
FTD is a form of dementia that tragically strikes people under 60. Unlike Alzheimer's, which affects the sufferer's memory, FTD affects emotions and behavior. The sufferer's personality is changed, often becoming compulsive, obsessive and prone to inappropriate and bizarre behavior. Lara revealed:
“It’s heartbreaking seeing this happen to my mom. It’s [FTD] a horrendous disease that robs an otherwise vital individual of their personality — everything that makes us who we are."
Since her mother's diagnosis in 2006, Lara has become active in promoting awareness of FTD, a condition that is frequently undiagnosed because it affects people at such a young age - most of the sufferers are between the ages of 45 and 65.
At this moment, FTD, which is thought to affect over 60,000 people, is often misdiagnosed as depression or as a psychiatric condition. FTD patients usually go from doctor to doctor for up to 3 years before their condition is recognized. Lara said:
“I want to reach out and let other families know that they are not alone, and they are not the only ones going through this.”
Lara, now 53, and looking radiantly youthful, is using her fame and celebrity status to further the FTD cause and raise money to fund research into this devastating disease.
Although little is know about the causes of FTD, which has no treatment at this moment, it is known that 10 to 20% of the sufferers seem to have inherited the predisposition for the condition - which makes the search for a cure all the more urgent for the thousands of sufferers, and their families.
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