Pittsburgh family beset with rare, gene causing form of Alzheimer's seeking cure

PITTSBURGH — Lynne Baranowski is very familiar with Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps, more than she’d ever wanted to be.

The retired mother of five doesn’t have the disease, but she has seen her more than fair share of Alzheimer’s within her own home.

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“It’s been horrific,” Baranowski said. “You’re watching your children be robbed of everything. It just takes everything away.”

Baranowski is a member of the Damico family, which has been dealing with a rare form of Alzheimer’s for generations.

Her family’s battle began over a decade ago, when her father-in-law died of the disease. After her husband’s father died, the family then discovered one of her husband’s brothers began showing symptoms. At that point, all four brothers decided to be tested for Alzheimer’s.

Three of them had the disease.

“My husband started showing signs but we didn’t know what it was,” Baranowski said. “No one knew but after he was tested, they knew he had the gene.”

Those genes would end up being presenilin 2, or the PS2 gene. The PS2 gene is a known risk factor for early onset Alzheimer’s disease. All three diagnosed siblings eventually died at relatively young ages of 53, 46 and 53.

One of those siblings was Lynn’s husband.

Now knowing that the disease ran through her spouse’s family, Baranowski’s fears turned to her children, who were approaching their late-20s and early-30s, around the age the hereditary gene would begin to kick in.

Unfortunately, for Baranowski and her family, the gene carried on. Of her five children, today, four have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Since then, the Damico family has become very proactive about raising awareness for the disease. Baranowski now is on the chair board member for the Pittsburgh Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Despite the Damicos’ misfortunes, they still hold out hope for a cure.

Baranowski, her children and grandchildren will be among those participating in the 2015 Pittsburgh Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday.

For more information about the walk, or to participate, visit the organization’s website here.

WPXI