Show Notes
Gaby is joined by Jordan Adams - one of the FTD Brothers - who tells us all about his journey with dementia and the importance of finding the joy in things every day. Jordan and his brother are on a mission to cure dementia before it takes their own lives. They have raised an amazing amount of money so far - and continue to do so, through running! You can find out more about what they're doing on their instagram - and - donate to via their go fund me page. And here's a little more about Jordan and his family's journey:
"After our mum’s passing, our sister Kennedy felt a burning need to know whether she would inherit the same illness. Through family connections in Ireland, she arranged an appointment at the Dublin Neurological Institute with Professor Tim Lynch, who had researched familial FTD within our family. Kennedy underwent research studies and genetic counselling before receiving her test result in 2018. She had inherited the normal copy of the gene from our dad — meaning she would not develop FTD. For the first time in years, we had good news. Kennedy was able to move forward, start a family, and live without the shadow we had all been carrying. Her bravery gave Jordan the courage to follow the same path. In September 2018, Jordan received his result: a carrier of the faulty MAPT gene, meaning he will develop the same form of dementia as our mum.
Jordan describes that diagnosis as a 'licence to live'. Knowing what lies ahead has sharpened every decision since — including the decision to ensure this disease is not passed on further. Tragically, earlier this year, Jordan and his partner Agnès learned during a pregnancy that their child had also inherited the faulty gene, and they were unable to continue. Their journey to start a family continues."
More from Reasons To Be Joyful with Gaby Roslin
Gaby welcomes naturalist, explorer and writer - Steve Backshall - to the studio. They chat about his passion for wildlife, animals and nature - and his new Deadly Live tour! Steve believes we all have an inherent fascination in nature - and gets so much joy from sharing his love of nature with audiences, especially with young people. From his early career in TV, to bestselling books and shows - Steve is as passionate and joyful as ever - and his enthusiasm is infectious! Tickets for the live show are available now: DEADLYLIVETOUR.COM
Singer and broadcaster, Fleur East, joins Gaby for a natter about all things joy. They talk about women helping women - and how Fleur is encouraging everyone to grow their networks, and help lift each other up. Women are exhausted - but there is unity! They talk about motherhood, coming up against stigmatism in the workplace and why more and more the loud, negative voices are being amplified - but are not the ones we should be listening to. Fleur is busy busy - and has a varied career; so they chat about her radio career, her singing - and of course - what brings her the most joy!
Gaby welcomes former racing driver turned pundit and commentator, Billy Monger, to the podcast. They chat about his brilliant career, love of racing, his new book - and all things joy! Billy is a pundit for the F1 coverage on Channel Four, along with Steve Jones, David Coulthard, Mark Webber, Lee McKenzie and many others....
Author and positive energy spreader, Vex King, joins Gaby for a chat about joy and love and positivity. We're also joined by Vex's wife - Kaushal - his biggest champion, and another joy spreader! They chat about how they met, about kindness, love - and why their mission is to spread kindness and positivity wherever they go. Vex's books have sold millions of copy worldwide and give advice to those who are seeking a spiritual guide, emotional healing and good energy. His books are focused on self-love and help people all over the world.