The brothers who won hearts by turning pain into charity epics

Two brothers whose efforts have captured the hearts of so many people across the country will be celebrated with a homecoming event this Sunday after their latest massive marathon achievement.

Jordan and Cian Adams finished their challenge, 33 marathons in 33 days, last month and, to many in Redditch, Worcestershire, put their town on the national map.

The pair are known as FTD brothers, as they both have the gene which can lead to frontotemporal dementia and which their mother, Geraldine, was diagnosed with before her death, aged 52.

"You could not help but notice when she walked into a room."

Their mother, her sons said, was a woman for the big occasions, a "cool mum", who, had you known her, would have "lit up your day with her beautiful smile".

"I couldn't have wished for a better person to have as a mum," Jordan Adams said.

"She was a loving and generous character who adored spending time with family and friends.

"She was very proud of her Irish background and would frequently put on the accent when socialising with friends or telling stories from her own childhood."

That was until her spark was gradually stripped away by her FTD diagnosis when she was 47, in 2010.

"She started to become far more socially withdrawn," Jordan Adams said.

"She went through extended periods of low mood, and I remember one significant moment around that period when, on a Saturday afternoon, my mum rang my sister to tell her she was outside her school ready to pick her up."

At the time, Jordan was 15, Cian was nine and their older sister, Kennedy, was 17.

In the months and years that followed, the family helped care for Geraldine as her condition deteriorated.

She had to be reminded not to drive, after her licence was revoked, and they had to make sure she did not wander from the house as she could become confused about where she was.

In the later stages, she needed help to eat and became permanently bed-bound, having to have assistance to use the bathroom.

"These are all duties of care which no child should have to do for a parent, but when it is someone that you love, you have no choice," Jordan Adams said.

"It was incredibly difficult to watch her be stripped of everything that made her who she was. Then, after six years of living with FTD, to lose her completely was heartbreaking."

On 14 March 2016, aged 52, Geraldine Adams died at her family home.

Her loss brought further heartbreak when her sons discovered they too carried the same gene that had caused her FTD.

That means Jordan and Cian Adams have a 99.9% chance of developing the same form of dementia in their 40s.

But while Cian admitted there have been some "very tough" moments, he believed his family was closer than ever.

"The ship's kind of settled now," he added. "We're out of the eye of the storm."

The brothers decided to turn their personal story into a public one, to help others in a similar situation feel less alone.

They also began fundraising for Alzheimer's Research UK through various running challenges, including a virtual marathon during the Covid lockdowns.

Running challenges began, initially with seven marathons in seven days, finishing in 2022.

But a bigger one followed - their latest, 33 marathons in 33 days, crossing every county of Ireland on foot, carrying a fridge through the London Marathon and raising more than £1.9m for the charity.

Speaking before their Ireland challenge in April, Jordan was asked what his mum would think of their achievements.

"I think she would be incredibly proud," he said.

"There's not many moments throughout it all that I get emotional because I feel so driven by this mission to help people. But finally, I think we're getting through and getting the message across."

The brothers will be hailed for their massive efforts in Redditch this weekend with the homecoming event from 10:00 BST on Sunday at Astwood Bank Cricket Club - the 1,500 tickets sold out in hours.

The leader of the town's borough council, Matt Dormer, said the pair had achieved "something truly extraordinary".

"They have turned personal tragedy into a powerful force for good," he added. "I can say that our town is immensely proud of them.

"Cian and Jordan are outstanding ambassadors for Redditch and represent the very best of our community.

"Their achievements, their resilience, and the way they have honoured their mum's memory will leave a lasting legacy and will be remembered for many years to come."

Mairéad Dillon, from the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, said the charity was immensely grateful to the brothers for their efforts in Ireland.

"By sharing their story and the journey they are embarking on so openly and bravely, they have given a powerful voice to dementia and brought communities right across Ireland together," she added.

"They have captured the hearts of the Irish people."

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