Coronation Street is tackling the often-overlooked issue of early-onset dementia in a new storyline featuring character Debbie Webster, played by Sue Devaney.

Ms Webster’s recent struggles with memory problems lead her to seek medical advice, culminating in a diagnosis of early-onset dementia.

While dementia is commonly associated with older age, the storyline shines a light on the significant number of younger individuals affected by the condition. Dementia UK estimates more than 70,800 people in the UK are living with early-onset dementia.

The soap opera’s narrative explores the profound impact of early-onset dementia not only on the individual diagnosed but also on their families and loved ones.

This resonates with the experience of Will Dean, 25, whose mother, Ronnie, received the same diagnosis at just 49, when he was only 16.

Mr Dean welcomes Coronation Street‘s decision to highlight the issue.

He describes his mum Ronnie as a “work hard and mum hard” type of person, who was a driven senior police officer in North Wales Police that thrived in leadership roles, who also made sure she found time for her kids.

However, when she first started experiencing cognitive issues, she kept it a secret from the whole family.

“She kept it a secret and went to the GP in 2015, three different times, and each time they said it’s depression or the menopause – but she’d been depressed before so she knew this was different,” says Mr Dean.

“After lots of persistence, she was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, initially through a phone call.

“She said that she remembers spinning around on her office chair, thinking ‘this isn’t real’ and was in disbelief. Mum didn’t want anyone to know for the first three years, because she saw the stigma in society. So there was a long time where it was only known in the very close family.”

Paul Edwards, chief nursing officer at Dementia UK, stresses the importance of getting an early diagnosis.

“A timely diagnosis can help the person and their family understand what form of dementia they have, how their symptoms affect them, and what they can do to manage them,” explains Mr Edwards.

“It also enables the person and their family to seek out information and support such as guidance around finances and future planning. ”

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Symptoms of dementia differ from person to person, depending on the type of dementia and which parts of the brain it affects, explains Mr Edwards.

“I think mum’s the first to say that the dementia is a part of her, but it’s not her identity,” says Mr Dean.

“Mum’s still verbal and says that she gets to be a different person at different times.

“For example, her taste might change week by week. So, my dad will bulk buy certain things and she suddenly won’t like it, because the brain changes the way we taste.”

Ronnie also sometimes confuses Mr Dean with other relatives, but he has learnt a few things that have helped him understand her brain a bit more.

“She might not remember the memory, but she will remember how it feels,” explains Mr Dean.

“So one thing I’ve tried to do is to consciously do things with mum that are emotive, or attach a song to it, or attach a smell. All these things can help you shortcut to an emotional state.”

Around the time of his mum’s diagnosis, Will got into running as a way of managing his mental health; he’d take on various running challenges around the country to raise money for dementia charities.

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“There is no one-size fits all way of coping, but for me, especially at the start, I felt anger, and I buried myself in running challenges for charity,” says Mr Dean.

“Being out for hours in the dark in the middle of nowhere was where I’d actually give myself the time to think about what it means, and how I felt about it.

“And that has evolved into now learning about what’s going on and trying to communicate with the other young people who are going through the same thing.”

Mr Dean recommends that those who have been diagnosed with dementia, or their families, call the Dementia UK help lines free of charge if they would like more information about the condition.

“There are specialist dementia nurses there, called Admiral Nurses, who have experience with all different kinds of dementia and patients of all different ages.”

You can contact the Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@dementiauk.org.