15: The Genetic Odds Nurse Amy Hamby Faces in Fayetteville

Amy Hamby faces a genetic risk that is 15 times higher than the average person's. She will walk in Fayetteville on Saturday, joining hundreds of others in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's. The event takes place at Segra Stadium, starting at 9 a.m.

Hamby, a nurse from Erwin, was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's in 2024 at age 59. Testing revealed she carries two copies of the APOE-4 gene. Medical data shows that two copies of this gene can increase a person's risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's by 10 to 15 times. One copy raises the risk by two to three times.

She lost her father, whom the family called Poppy, in 2008. Hamby said she did not understand the genetic link at the time. "I had no clue, even as a nurse, which sounds pretty dumb, but I had no clue that he carried the gene and that I would end up carrying the gene as well," she said. She will wear a Team Poppy shirt during the walk in his memory.

Hamby attributed her initial symptoms to post-viral fatigue. She waited several years before seeking further evaluation. "Then a couple of years later, I thought, 'Something's not right,'" she recalled. She is now awaiting approved treatments, though she notes these carry higher risks for patients with two gene copies. "I am waiting for treatment, so if I can get those approved treatments are pretty risky for me because I have two copies of the gene, but it's worth it," Hamby said.

The disease affects daily interactions. Hamby sometimes asks her children to repeat questions. She continues to cook and share meals with her family, flipping through a cookbook of family recipes. She has also traveled to Raleigh to advocate for legislation supporting Alzheimer's research and care. "I've got hopefully a lot of years with my children and I want to live life to the fullest," she said. The walk is one of seven million Americans living with the disease, a figure that represents one in nine people age 65 and older. Someone in the country receives a diagnosis every 65 seconds. Registration for the Saturday event remains open.