FTD Brothers to have homecoming celebration

Plans have been drawn up to hold a homecoming celebration for the FTD Brothers after their latest mammoth challenge.

Jordan and Cian Adams, from Redditch, Worcestershire, crossed the finish line on Thursday, achieving their target of running 33 marathons in 33 days between them, and raising £1.8m for dementia research.

The epic challenge was in memory of their mother Geraldine, who died aged 52, after she was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The brothers also both have the rare gene that causes the condition, hence their nickname.

The new Redditch Borough Council leader, councillor Matt Dormer, said: "We are absolutely all over this and we aim to do something for them."

The pair started their challenge by running the London Marathon with Jordan even carrying a fridge on his back for the entire 26.2 miles (42km) run.

They then continued by completing a marathon in all counties in Ireland.

Addressing a crowd, Jordan said: "I know I talk for a lot of people here when it comes to navigating the heartbreak and devastation when it comes to living with dementia, how isolated and unsupported, unseen, unheard we feel as families.

"That's exactly how I felt as a 15-year-old boy when my dad walked into the front room of our family home on the 23rd of June 2010 and told me that... our beautiful amazing mum Geraldine was terminally ill with frontotemporal dementia."

The pair are likely to develop the uncommon form of dementia in their 40s.

Cian said: "It's tough. It's like grief in that sense... it stays with you forever. Life kind of grows around it, you have good days, you have bad days with it.

"We both struggle at times with it, but running's been a big part of that, having a good circle of friends and family has been a big part of that."

A delegation from a primary school in Redditch where the brothers went travelled to Dublin.

A spokesperson said they had flown out "to go home with the school flag, so we can go home and we can tell everybody at school that we saw them finish their immense challenge".

The brothers started in north Dublin for a route around the city and were initially joined by hundreds of runners.

Children from a local school turned out to cheer them on.

Orla Marrinan, from Holy Child National School in Dublin, said the brothers "wanted to do this challenge in Ireland because... it is where their heartache started".

"They have always said that their mum was so fond of it here and they're delighted to be back."

Dormer, who was elected council leader three days ago, said: "They've made Redditch proud, absolutely. In fact, most people outside of the Midlands wouldn't know where Redditch was, or would have even heard of it.

"So they've definitely put us on the map and what they've achieved is extraordinary.

"It's not just physically but because of the awareness they've raised for frontotemporal dementia, and the support they've given families affected by it is just phenomenal."

Dormer was pressed to provide more specific details about the homecoming but stated he was "still getting up to speed" in his new role but reaffirmed "something" would happen.

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