Member's statement: Jordan and Cian Adams: Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness
Member's statement by Ms Cara Hunter on .
- MLA
- Ms Cara Hunter
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 5 May 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Jordan and Cian Adams: Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5524330
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I wish to say a few words about two young men who make us stop, think and put everything into perspective. Jordan and Cian Adams, two young brothers, also known as the "FTD brothers", are running 32 marathons in 32 days across Ireland — last week, they ran through my constituency — to raise money for frontotemporal dementia, the illness that took their mother, Geraldine, at the age of 52. Jordan Adams also recently finished the London marathon with a fridge weighing 25 kg on his back, which is just remarkable. Despite being young men in their late 20s and early 30s, sadly, they found out the devastating news that they also carry the gene that means that, having lost 12 relatives, they, too, are almost certain to develop this form of dementia. That is hard to comprehend, which brings me to the point that I am raising in the Assembly. Right now, there are almost 1 million people across these islands who live with dementia, and that number is only going one way — sadly, upwards — which is why those young men have taken it on themselves to raise awareness and funds for research to end this horrific condition. They have raised almost £150,000, which is just incredible. This form of dementia is rare, under-researched and often misunderstood. The brothers said, on finding out their diagnosis, that they have 10 to 15 years, and then they will be stripped of everything. That is absolutely devastating, given that they are so young; they know what the future looks like and what lies ahead. I feel strongly that this has to change. I put on record a "Well done" to Cian and Jordan, who have turned something that is deeply personal into something very powerful. Conditions like frontotemporal dementia affect the whole family. It is life-altering and life-ruining. Thanks to Cian and Jordan, citizens and politicians like us across these islands have learnt about frontotemporal dementia: the signs, the symptoms, the importance of fundraising and, of course, the urgent need to find a cure. Today, the Assembly says, "Well done and thank you so much for teaching us more about the diagnosis".
362 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.18 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.93 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.05 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:35 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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