Today, more than 60,000 families in the U.S. are spending their days helping their loved ones navigate frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Thousands more struggle to get an accurate diagnosis, which can take years to confirm. 

Related to Alzheimers, FTD covers a range of neurodegenerative disorders affecting the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain. These lobes govern our behavior and emotions. While Alzheimers affects older people and is detected as a person begins to lose memory, FTD causes those who are younger to lose the very things that make them special: their charm and wit; their compassion and empathy; their warmth and vitality; their laughter and humor. Put differently, FTD takes away the things we value most in our loved ones: personality and spirit. Put frankly, FTD takes away life long before those afflicted with it physically pass away. 

Jacqueline Malden-Phelps, beloved wife of Bob Phelps and unconditionally loving mother to Kaj Malden, found peace after her long and difficult battle with FTD earlier this year. Unparalleled in kindness and warmth, Jackie always put the happiness and welfare of others above herself. In recognition of that loving spirit and compassion, Jackie's family is asking you to consider making a donation to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) to help fund research into and awareness of this little-known and heartbreaking disease. 

AFTD seeks to improve the quality of life of people affected by FTD and accelerate research in pursuit of a world where FTD is understood, effectively diagnosed, treated, cured, and prevented. You can learn more about the organization by following this link: https://www.theaftd.org/

In honor of Jackie's spirit, and in efforts to reduce the unknowable hardships of families elsewhere living with this disease, we hope you will make a donation. 

You can read Jackie's full obituary by following this link: 

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tucson/obituary.aspx?n=malden-phelps-jacqueline-mary-jackie&pid=187887636&fhid=6279

Please disregard the donation target on this page; it is automatically created by JustGiving. Any donation is welcome, and any amount marks a valuable contribution to understanding FTD.