‘You mean there’s nothing?’ The families fighting for their children with dementia

Thousands of Australian children live with dementia. Now recognition and research offer hope to the families raising children who will forget

In many ways, Ronin and Ethan are typical young boys. They love Hot Wheels toy cars, Shaun the Sheep, rude noises and pizza nights. Nine-year-old Ethan dotes on the family pets. Ronin, seven, is always booting a soccer ball around the back yard. They're two absolutely lovable friendly kids, very affectionate and can be very loving when they're happy and when things are going their way," their mother, Teresa Lloyd, says.

But Ronin and Ethan have dementia. When Ethan was two or three, his parents noticed his speech wasn't developing properly. Now, at nine, he has the language skills of a toddler. He's still walking unaided but this, Lloyd expects, will not last. He has no sense of personal safety and will dart out in front of a car without any awareness of the danger. He needs help with activities such as dressing and eating, the latter which requires constant supervision in case he doesn't swallow properly and chokes.