Man runs marathon carrying a 55‑lb fridge on his back — and the reason will break your heart

Every year, tens of thousands of people set out from their homes, excited to run a 26.5-mile course as part of the prestigious London Marathon. Everyone's story is just as inspiring as the other. This year, one of the stories in particular grabbed massive attention on social media: the story of Jordan Adams (@theftdbrothers) posted on April 29. During Sunday's marathon, while everybody else ran a marathon with nothing but a pair of shoes, 30-year-old Adams ran with an entire 25-kilogram (55-pound) fridge strapped to his back for one tearjerking reason.

The 'greatest challenge' wasn't the fridge

Adams, a resident of Redditch, calls it the “greatest challenge” of his life, not only because it is arduous, but also because there’s a huge inspiration behind his participation in the long-distance race. Running the marathon with a fridge symbolizes the invisible weight that so many people carry, but that never gets acknowledged. In Adams’ case, this is the weight of an illness that has stolen his mother from him and is now stealing his and his brother, Cian Adams' time.

According to the BBC, both Jordan and Cian carry the frontotemporal dementia (FTD) gene, which puts them at a 99% risk of developing dementia. It is a genetic condition passed down from their mother, Geraldine, who was diagnosed with it in 2010 at the age of 47. "It was an incredibly difficult period," Jordan recalled. With his brother Cian just nine years old and his older sister Kennedy 17 years old, all responsibility fell on his shoulders. "My mum went from being a really outgoing, vivacious [person], kind of the beating heart and soul of our family and a real life and soul character to being kind of more socially withdrawn,” he shares.

A series of losses since he was 15

Six years later, at the age of 52, Geraldine passed away when Jordan was just 15. Over the next few years, he lost 12 more relatives to the same disease and later discovered that he and his brother were “carriers of the MAPT mutation." There is no cure for FTD, so they ventured on a mission to leave the world a better place for people living with dementia. Running the London Marathon was one of the greatest exhibitions and accomplishments of their noble commitment. Apart from the humble mission, another goal behind running the marathon was raising funds for Alzheimer's Research UK. On their GoFundMe page, the brothers have already raised £701,533 ($944,796).

Carrying a weight most people can’t see

The fridge, Jordan noted, is a metaphor that will help people who spiral into depression and intrusive thoughts after getting diagnosed with the memory condition. He shared how almost the whole of London was cheering him up, and he felt something unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

According to a report published in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing, researchers have estimated that FTD affects approximately 50,000 to 60,000 American individuals, with life expectancy ranging between 7 and 13 years from the disease's onset. The study explains that frontotemporal dementia primarily affects behavior and language rather than memory, requiring caregivers to adapt their approach rather than correct the patient, as symptoms progressively worsen over time.

Waiting for a stroke of luck

Given this time limit, Adams is making the most of his remaining years, unless he encounters a stroke of fortune and somehow the disease is reversed. "Losing my mum the way I did changed everything. Now being diagnosed myself, I had a choice, and I chose to do something that shows life doesn't stop here," he affirmed. After the London marathon, the FTD brothers will participate in 32 marathons in 32 days across Ireland’s 32 counties. “I wanted to show people that no matter what you carry, you don’t have to carry it alone.”

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