With a background in nursing and years of experience supporting seniors care in Kelowna alongside her husband, Darryl, who co-owns a senior home care business, Janine Karlsen has seen the impact of dementia on members of the community. What she wasn’t expecting was to experience the disease first-hand in her fifties. With an incredibly busy life that includes volunteering in the community and serving as the board chair for a local foundation, it was easy to brush off some early symptoms, like brain fog and missing words when speaking, as the result of fatigue or long COVID. Karlsen was only 57 after all—why would she even consider it might be dementia? Before long, though, Karlsen realized her symptoms were not going away. She decided to be tested for cognitive decline. “I felt like a drama queen,” she says, describing the two-year journey of frustration that began with an inconclusive assessment. Was it a cognition problem or not? Karlsen opted to participate in a clinical trial where she underwent a PET scan. “I felt like I was wasting everyone’s time.” But the scan resulted in a positive dementia diagnosis. Learning of the diagnosis was a hit to Karlsen’s ego and being diagnosed so young was difficult to accept. “Now, though, it isn’t sadness, exactly,” she says. “It’s a feeling of disappointment to lose some skills.” At the same time, Karlsen has found great support from both Darryl and the community around them, and that support has helped her to find ways to continue to work and stay engaged in her volunteering. She is incredibly thankful to her supportive staff and for the members of the organizations at which she volunteers, who have encouraged her to continue in her role despite the initial loss of confidence she has experienced. Karlsen has been motivated by her personal experience of the dementia journey. She has chosen to advocate and educate others. She stresses the importance of an early diagnosis, as well as seeking help and resources from the Alzheimer Society of B.C., which helped her connect with other people living with young-onset dementia. “When you get inconclusive results—especially when you’re my age—it’s easy to let it go and assume everything is fine,” she says. “But receiving a final diagnosis has helped me address what was happening.” Working with the Alzheimer Society of B.C. has given Karlsen opportunities to add even more purpose to her own life while helping others. One way she’s doing this is by speaking at the organization’s signature fundraising event, Breakfast to Remember, presented by Valley Mitsubishi, at the Coast Capri Hotel on Feb. 27. The event is an opportunity for business leaders, health-care providers and community members in Kelowna to come together to raise awareness for the disease while raising funds. Guests will learn about issues related to dementia from engaging speakers just like Janine. To buy tickets or make a donation, visit BreakfastToRemember.ca. This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.