Rebecca Luna had always been sharp, capable, and in control. As a single mother of two, she juggled work responsibilities with parenting duties, maintaining what she called a “fast-paced lifestyle” that demanded mental agility and constant multitasking. Friends and colleagues knew her as someone who could handle anything life threw her way.
Then, two years ago, something began to change. Small things at first – moments of confusion that seemed easily explained by stress or fatigue. However, these incidents started to accumulate, becoming more frequent and increasingly frightening. What Rebecca didn’t know was that her brain was beginning to betray her in ways that would fundamentally alter not just her life, but her children’s future.
The journey from those first troubling symptoms to a devastating diagnosis would take two years of mounting fear, medical tests, and a truth more devastating than she could have imagined. Her story reveals how a progressive disease can hide behind everyday explanations until the reality becomes impossible to ignore.
Early Red Flags: When Routine Tasks Become Impossible
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The first major warning sign appeared at work. Luna, who had been in her role for years, sat down at her computer one morning and found herself completely lost.
“I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where to start,” Luna told Yahoo. “Normally, you would start your job and you’d be like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do this, this, this.’ I had no idea. There was just… nothingness.”
At the time, she rationalized it as stress. However, the cognitive failures soon extended beyond her job and began to pose physical risks at home. In one particularly alarming event, a simple cooking task went wrong.
“I was boiling an egg. I left it on the stove, and then I walked downtown, which is a half-hour walk,” she recalled. “When I got downtown, I realized I left the stove on. I ran home, and my house was covered in smoke. So, it literally almost caught my house on fire.”
This incident demonstrated a breakdown in executive function—the brain’s ability to plan, sequence, and monitor tasks. Forgetting a boiling egg was not just a moment of distraction; it was a failure in the cognitive processes that allow a person to see a multi-step activity through to completion.
From Memory Blackouts to a Devastating Diagnosis
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As Luna’s condition advanced, her symptoms grew more severe. She began experiencing memory blackouts during conversations, where she would mentally disengage while remaining physically present. Friends would notice her blank stare, and when she returned to awareness, she had no memory of what had just happened. “It’s almost like I’m not there, it’s black, and it feels blank,” Luna described. This short-term memory failure became pervasive, with Luna reporting she cannot recall the previous day “seven to eight times out of 10.”
This pattern prompted a lengthy diagnostic process. Doctors initially explored other possibilities for her cognitive symptoms, including perimenopause, ADHD, and long-term effects from past alcoholism, from which Luna has been sober for 15 years.
@wheredidrebeccago I HAT THIS #MAID #gofundme #youngonsetalzheimers #alzheimer #canada_life🇨🇦 #BC #terminal #neurologist #brain #earlyonsetalzheimers #disease #dying ♬ original sound – wheredidrebeccago
She underwent multiple psychiatric evaluations and cognitive tests designed to assess memory, problem-solving, and other brain functions. According to the video source, she scored poorly on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and failed every cognitive test administered.
The results led her to a neurologist. Brain MRI scans revealed medial temporal atrophy—shrinkage in the brain regions essential for memory. After reviewing the scans and psychiatric notes, the neurologist confirmed the diagnosis. “He just walked in with pamphlets of early-onset Alzheimer’s,” Luna recalled. This form of the disease is known to be particularly aggressive, with a more rapid progression and a shorter average life expectancy compared to late-onset Alzheimer’s.
How to Offer Meaningful Support to Someone with Alzheimer’s
After her diagnosis, Luna turned to TikTok to document her experience and built a community of over 29,000 followers. This platform provides her with an outlet and has also become a source of practical strategies for managing the disease. For families and individuals navigating a similar diagnosis, these tips can be immediately useful.
Adapting the Environment:
- Reduce Clutter: Minimizing household clutter can create a simpler, less confusing living space.
- Use Music: Create playlists of familiar, meaningful songs. Music can often trigger memories and provide comfort when other cognitive functions are declining.
- Keep a Journal: Maintaining a daily log of activities can help track events and reduce repetitive behaviors, such as taking multiple showers in one day because the first one was forgotten.
Providing Emotional Connection:
Luna emphasizes that emotional support is more valuable than attempts to correct her memory. She offers clear advice for loved ones on how to interact with someone with Alzheimer’s.
“If you are a loved one, my suggestion is to meet them where they’re at,” she said. “What I’ve found really helpful with my partner is not to be questioned but reminded, and to just believe them. And give them a hug. Tell them you love them. Because really, if I’m being completely honest, what I need is a hug from my family.”
The core message is to prioritize validation and affection over factual accuracy.
Planning for an Inevitable Future
@wheredidrebeccago Medical Assistance in Dying for us young onset Alzheimer’s folks #MAID #passing #dying #death #earlyonsetalzheimers #perimenopausehealth #alzheimer #youngonsetalzheimers #medicalgaslighting #singleparent ♬ original sound – wheredidrebeccago
With a diagnosis of a progressive, terminal illness, Rebecca Luna is also planning for her future, including her end of life. She speaks openly about her decision to research and eventually apply for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), an option available in Canada where she resides.
Her motivation is informed by her 15-year career in healthcare, where she cared for patients with late-stage dementia and Alzheimer’s. This firsthand experience gave her a clear understanding of the disease’s progression. “It’s not pretty,” she stated in a video, explaining her refusal to live in a long-term care facility or lose her personal autonomy, citing specific boundaries she will not cross.
The MAID process for individuals with neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s differs from the standard process. Luna has researched it extensively and explains the key distinctions:
- Extended Waiting Period: There is a mandatory 90-day waiting period after an application is submitted, which is longer than for other terminal conditions.
- Specialist Approval: The application must be approved and signed by two medical specialists who are experts in the patient’s specific condition.
- Advance Consent: A crucial provision allows for a pre-planned agreement with a doctor. This means that even if a person loses cognitive capacity, MAID can still be administered on a pre-determined date, as long as the agreement was made while they were still competent. A power of attorney cannot make this decision on someone’s behalf.
By discussing this topic, Luna addresses the reality of planning for the end stages of Alzheimer’s, providing information for others who may be contemplating their own future with the disease.
Shedding Light on the Full Burden of Early Alzheimer’s
@wheredidrebeccago Sad to report things are feeling a lot worse, I’ve reached out to my neurologist for an apt! Will keep you all posted #youngonsetalzheimers #earlyonsetalzheimers #disease #MAID #adhd #womenover40 #medicalgaslighting #misdiagnosed #gofundme #perimenopause #brainhealth ♬ original sound – wheredidrebeccago
An early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis creates challenges that extend far beyond the patient’s cognitive health, deeply affecting family dynamics and financial stability. For Luna, one of the most difficult tasks was explaining the diagnosis to her family, some of whom struggled to accept the reality of her condition. She noted that her mother did not fully grasp the situation until she saw the diagnosis written in a doctor’s clinical notes.
The financial consequences are just as stark. Because the disease strikes during a person’s prime earning years, it presents a dual crisis: income is lost while the costs of medication, therapy, and future long-term care accumulate. To manage these expenses and provide for her children’s future, Luna started a GoFundMe campaign. This financial strain is a common reality for the thousands of families who must navigate the high cost of care without the support of an income.
By documenting her journey on TikTok and speaking openly about these difficult topics, Luna provides a direct look into the full impact of early-onset Alzheimer’s. Her advocacy highlights a clear need: for greater awareness and support systems that address not just the medical symptoms, but the profound financial and emotional burdens carried by patients and their families.
Featured Image Source: Fundraiser by Rebecca Luna on Gofundme
