SALLY MAGNUSSON: ALZHEIMER’S, A CURE & ME

Sally Magnusson and her family cared for their mother for many years before her death from dementia. With a possible familial link, Sally has often wondered: Will I be next?

Now a cure for Alzheimer’s is in sight – but the scientists need people like Sally to be tested. She can find out if she has the invisible indications of Alzheimer’s in her brain already by being part of a ground-breaking study of “healthy brains” at Scotland’s pioneering brain clinic.

The study is run by Professor Craig Ritchie, who says “We can cure Alzheimer’s before it becomes dementia – just as we learned to stop HIV before it became AIDS. But to do that, we must test people before they get symptoms.”

It’s not an easy decision for anyone. Before deciding whether to take the tests, Sally meets leading scientists, as well as people who are living with dementia and those who like her have lost loved ones to the disease.

And crucially she discusses it with her family. With privileged access to Sally’s sisters, her own children, and their extensive family archive, Sally Magnusson: Alzheimer’s, a Cure and Me paints a portrait of a family as they weigh up the potentially life-changing decision. Her eventual decision will affect them all.