Nurse with early-stage diagnosis walks Fayetteville course

Amy Hamby will walk the Fayetteville course on Saturday with a confirmed diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer’s and two copies of the APOE-4 gene. The genetic marker is the strongest known risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s, and carrying two copies elevates a person’s likelihood of developing the disease to as much as 15 times the baseline risk.

Hamby, a nurse from Erwin, received her diagnosis in 2024 at age 59. For several years prior, she attributed her cognitive changes to post-viral fatigue, a common complaint during and after the pandemic. She later recognized that the symptoms were not resolving, prompting the medical evaluation that identified the genetic profile.

The walk serves as a memorial for her father, whom the family called Poppy, who died of Alzheimer’s in 2008. Hamby said the family did not understand the hereditary component of the illness 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 is currently waiting for approved therapies, noting that the treatments carry higher risks for patients with two copies of the APOE-4 gene. "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.

Beyond the walk, Hamby has lobbied in Raleigh for legislation supporting Alzheimer’s research and care. She continues to engage in daily activities, including cooking family recipes, and aims to maintain quality time with her children. "I've got hopefully a lot of years with my children and I want to live life to the fullest," she said.

The annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville. The event is expected to draw hundreds of participants and supporters. The disease affects more than seven million Americans, or roughly one in nine people age 65 and older. A new diagnosis occurs every 65 seconds in the United States.

Registration for the event remains open to the public. Participants will gather to raise awareness for a condition that impacts both individual health outcomes and national healthcare systems.