This is what childhood dementia does

Angelina's story gives devastating insight into the impact of childhood dementia.

If your family is impacted by childhood dementia, we have information for you here:
If you are a health professional and would like to learn more about childhood dementia, please visit:

WHAT CAUSES CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA? Childhood dementia is caused by 100+ rare genetic disorders. Sadly, most children with dementia die before reaching adulthood. Half die before their 10th birthdays. Childhood dementia is progressive. The brain is damaged more and more. Children progressively lose skills they’ve already developed such as the ability to write, read, learn, talk, walk and play. Their brains also lose the ability to keep the body functioning properly and, eventually, to keep the body alive.

IS THIS NEW? No. Sadly, the genetic conditions that cause dementia in children are not new. They are each individually rare, however, and have traditionally been researched and responded to individually and in silos. Bringing these disorders together into a collective group to spark awareness, action and solutions is new. Childhood Dementia Initiative launched in 2020 to do this.

WHAT DOES CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA INITIATIVE DO? We can find solutions for kids like Angelina. Think of childhood dementia like cancer before action and research started to improve quality of life, survival and prevention. We're working to:
1. Transform research. This includes driving a shift away from researching just one disorder at a time to researching multiple disorders concurrently and sharing expensive infrastructure between research projects to speed up progress);
2. Improve care and quality of life for children with dementia. This includes amplifying family voices about what they need and engaging with health providers and professionals to build understanding and improved support for families who report it's difficult to get the care they really need;
3. Advocate and build awareness so that childhood dementia becomes a health priority. The fact that you're watching this video is a step forward. Nothing will change if no one knows about childhood dementia.

Join us at:

[childhooddementiainitiativ]

Apologies if we haven't managed to answer your question. Below are answers to some common ones. 
DO VACCINES, TOXINS OR DIET CAUSE THIS?
No. Children are born with these inherited genetic childhood dementia conditions. See above and below for more info.
HOW DOES CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA KILL? Childhood dementia is progressive. So the brain is damaged more and more. Children progressively lose skills they’ve already developed such as the ability to write, read, learn, talk, walk and play. Their brains also lose the ability to keep the body functioning properly and, eventually, to keep the body alive.
IS THIS NEW? No. Sadly, the genetic conditions that cause dementia in children are not new. They are each individually rare, however, and have traditionally been researched and responded to individually and in silos. Dementia in childhood has been known for more than 100 years. What is new is bringing these disorders together into a collective group to spark action and solutions. Childhood Dementia Initiative launched in 2020 to do this. 
WHAT DOES CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA INITIATIVE DO?
The technologies and brains to find solutions for kids like Angelina exist. Think of childhood dementia like cancer before action and research started to impact quality of life, survival and prevention. We're working to: 
1. Transform research (this includes driving a shift away from researching just one disorder at a time to researching multiple disorders concurrently and sharing expensive infrastructure between research projects to speed up progress); 
2. Improve care and quality of life for children with dementia (this includes amplifying family voices about what they need and engaging with health providers and professionals to build understanding and improved support for families); 
3. Advocate and build awareness so that childhood dementia becomes a health priority. 
The fact that you're watching this video is a step forward. Nothing will change if no one knows about childhood dementia.

[trueguinnessking]

The fact that many of us are finding out about childhood dementia because of randomly coming across this YouTube clip is a real problem .

[Evrimomono]

"I fear I might die" is just not something you want to hear from a person, especially a kid.

Truly heartbreaking

[PlatonicPurplePanda]

That look that she gave when answering the question, it was so distant like she was on another planet, like she didn't even knew where she was at that moment, heartbreaking.

[scp-]

She just turned 20. She’s a trooper. Breaks my heart because she was normal at 14. Completely normal

[lolamoewestside]

I never knew that children could get dementia too...at her age this is just heartbreaking..my heart goes out to this beautiful girl and her family

[trinkabuszczuk]

Didn’t know this disease existed until ten seconds ago. This is horrific and clearly needs more publicity!

[xsphgxo]

My wife works with children with disabilities. One of them is a girl with dementia. My wife sometimes updates me on how she’s doing and it genuinely makes me cry. She’s 14 and can barely talk now. We have two girls and it makes me hug them extra tight when I get home from work every day.

[tsyf]

I always thought that my worst fear was developing dementia and forgetting my child. Now it strikes me as a possibility that my child could too. New fear unlocked.

[koobifossils]

my heart broke when i read “there is no cure for angelina”.. i never knew childhood dementia was a thing :(

[gOdkNoWsIWTBF]

It breaks my heart to see how lively she was before the condition started, and how she just afterwards....

[Bubbls_on_RecRoom]

i remember when a friend showed me and another friend this. and both of them laughed. i got so pissed at them and told them that she struggles with child dementia. and that whole call went silent and they soon realized it was a actual thing. they watched it again and one of them cried for 20 minutes.

[milky]

this is so disheartening to see someone so young to go through something so horrible with no solution at all. I saw dementia slowly take away a good friend of mine 15 years ago everyday my heart broke more and more for them the one day they just left us. The hole that formed in our group of friends never has been filled. Taken far to soon


God speed my friend and i hope they find a cure for this horrible affliction

[Maxim]

My best friend died of Alzheimer when he was 33 years old.
It was difficult to see him go like that.
I wish you all the best.

[ElMaestroRoshi]

"And I feel like I might die". That phrase broke my heart. All my prayers for this girl.

[Awesomes]

I’m in the throes of severe cognitive impairment due to long covid. I’m young. It’s terrifying. I feel for this beautiful young woman and her family. They, and those like them, are and forever will be my superheroes.

[jasonwragge]

I have a beautiful 15 year old daughter who brings me joy daily. I could not begin to understand what you must be going through. My heart and prayers go out to you all.

[meggyspencer]

For people wondering, these children are not affected by the disorders older people get (alzheimers, vascular dementia etc) but rather by genetic disorders that basically don't allow for proteins to disperse, as they accumulate usually in the nervous tissues there is a breakdown of function which include the loss of neuro-cognitive capabilities, and that looks very similar to a patient developing what we normally call dementia . Unfortunately all these disorders are extremely rare and the only possible cure is gene therapy, which currently is in the first stages of developing. Hopefully in a few years we will be able to do something about all genetic disorders that are linked to a specific gene that can be 'replaced' through gene therapy.

[suzyccreations]

My mom starting having dementia but she is 90 years old, to see this in a child is gut-wrenching.

[trevorkindley]

I deal with my mother who is 91 and has Dementia...i had no idea that there was such a thing as childhood dementia... prayers for this family