When My Mother Forgot My Birthday because of Her Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

My mother forgot my seventeenth birthday.

My junior prom had been the evening before, and I slept over at a friend’s house. When I walked through the front door with my overnight bag that Sunday morning, I fully expected a “Happy Birthday” greeting from my family, yet I received none.

Exhausted from the late-night shenanigans with my friends, I went to my room and spent a few hours catching up on sleep. That afternoon, my mom appeared in my doorway with a pool float and presented it as my birthday present. She denied forgetting my birthday, explaining that my handmade prom dress had been my gift, but I was unconvinced and angry at the lack of timely recognition.

In all the years leading up to that pivotal moment, my mother had spoiled me with birthday celebrations. Every year, she’d made me feel known and loved with kind and genuine words, a delicious and beautifully decorated cake, and perfectly selected presents that she couldn’t wait to give me.

She didn’t need to spend a lot of money on me, but the time and attention she invested in making me feel special always showed me how much she cared for me. I know now that my mom was probably already experiencing the earliest effects of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

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