Mum thought she was forgetting words due to 'work stress' until chilling discovery

A much-loved mum who thought work-related stress was causing her to forget words went on to receive a devastating health diagnosis. 

Josephine Morton studied at Girton College Cambridge in the early 1960s and later worked for the Government, but is now largely non-verbal and lives in a specialist unit.

She initially thought her memory issues were down to the stresses of her job, but when she retired in 2010, her symptoms didn't alleviate and she spoke about her worries to her husband, Richard, before visiting her GP.

Josephine's son Will said: "Before mum’s condition progressed, she used to love going to see art and museum exhibitions in London; she described one of her early scans as a work of art, like a wood carving, which I thought was very poetically put.

"I found it very interesting seeing the changes in her scans over time, but it was also incredibly hard losing the mum I knew. I’d love for other people not to have to experience those changes – it would be phenomenal.”

Josephine lives with Primary Progressive (non-fluent) Aphasia, (PPA), a rare type of dementia that often impacts speech and language.

Prior to her diagnosis in 2011, Josephine volunteered for studies to help scientists learn more about PPA and has also promised to donate her brain to dementia research. 

Will, a history teacher who visits Josephine often, started running to help cope with her diagnosis, tackling the Cambridge Half Marathon for Alzheimer's Research UK in 2021.

The charity said Josephine's doctor made the correct referrals and she went on to be cared for by Professor James Rowe, a cognitive neurologist at Cambridge University. 

She underwent MRI, CT and PET scans and received her diagnosis in 2011, aged 62, yet Josephine’s intelligence and passion for words made her condition feel even more cruel as she would lose her language capabilities. 

Will said: “I’m hugely proud of my mum – she’s been so brave since her diagnosis. Before her diagnosis, she tried to avoid talking about her condition and the issues she was having with her brain because she felt the stigma of memory loss and confusion.

“But once she got the diagnosis, she understood that the way she could help was by keeping her brain as active as possible and by signing up to take part in dementia research.

“My experience of mum’s diagnosis has enabled me to talk to others about it more openly. I still do that within my daily life to support friends and relatives who are living with dementia.”

Sadly, Josephine started losing her independence after her diagnosis, and in 2019, she was hospitalised with low blood pressure and was later hospitalised again with a bleed on the brain. 

Will felt concerned after learning that the ward doctor had not heard of PPA, so he now wishes to raise awareness of rare forms of dementia. 

Richard took care of Josephine until she moved into care, and in 2021, she moved to a specialist neurological rehabilitation unit, a ward for people with dementia. 

Will said: “My mum has undertaken brain scans, psychometric tests and interviews to help researchers find out more about dementia and how it affects people.

"I am convinced that her determination to keep her brain active and to contribute to research means that we’ve had her around for much longer than we might have otherwise.

“What’s even more incredible is that my mum has donated her brain to research after she passes. That means that her contribution to dementia research will continue which I find very moving and motivating."

Sadly, Josephine is mostly non-verbal now, but Will spoke to her on the phone once, and she said “my baby” – after recognising his voice. Will also recalled that she said to him on his birthday in 2022: “I adore you”.

Will has shared his mum's story ahead of World Alzheimer’s Month, a global campaign from Alzheimer's Disease International that runs each September.