My dad has dementia at 52 — here’s what’s on his bucket list

This dementia patient wasn’t going to let his condition prevent him from having an unforgettable time.

Joe Williamson’s life turned upside down after he was diagnosed with dementia at just 52 years old. Knowing that he had limited time to enjoy life, Williamson’s daughter decided to help her ailing dad check off his bucket list activities before his memory failed — with eating a slice of New York pizza topping the list.

“I want to help him live out his dream,” Betty Williamson, 27, told SWNS of her dad’s fulfillment mission. “I want to make sure he knows I love him and care about him.”

Her father’s heart-rending saga began several years ago after San Diego’s Joe Williamson, now 53, started experiencing memory problems and confusion. He would often forget where he was driving and request the presence of relatives that weren’t there. “He was forgetting things little by little, he would wake up and ask for his mum who was in a different state,” lamented the mother of two while describing her father’s deteriorating mental state.

Alarmed, the retired maintenance supervisor visited the doctor that January, whereupon brain tests confirmed his family’s worst fears. Joe had frontal lobe dementia, a neurological condition characterized by difficulty understanding written and spoken language, a lack of judgment and other debilitating symptoms. This degenerative disorder usually affects those between the ages of 40-65 — an earlier onset than Alzheimer’s and other ailments of the brain.

“I was confused when I was diagnosed, I didn’t know what to think,” said Joe, describing his reaction to the news. “I didn’t notice that my mind was slipping.” The cause of his dementia is unknown; however. doctors suspect that the 13 concussions Joe suffered while playing football as a child could be to blame.

The timing of the diagnosis was especially cruel given that the single father of five was just starting to enjoy life after his kids flew the coop. “He spent his whole life taking care of us and right when he’s starting to live his life, he starts to forget things,” said the Las Vegas, Nevada resident. She added that doctors “don’t know how much of his memory he has left.”

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Determined to live life to the fullest while he still could, Joe drew up a list of everything he wanted to do before his mind deteriorates. “He has a whole bucket list and before he loses memory, he wants to knock out everything on there,” said his daughter, who launched a fundraiser to help her dad “live out his dreams.”

First on the agenda? Going to New York City and grabbing an authentic slice of their famed pie. “It’s the number one thing he wanted to do,” Betty fondly recalled, adding that her father called her “right after the first bite.”

In one of the NY clips, which took place in December, Joe can be seen chomping down on a mammoth slice of pepperoni pizza, before signifying his approval with an Italian-esque buono hand gesture. He said it was as good as he imagined.

During the course of his four-day New York jaunt, the grandfather of seven also posed with the NYPD, visited Time’s Square, and saw the 9/11 memorial.

“He’s like a big kid, the small things in life bring him joy,” fawned Betty, who, along with her other siblings, chipped in over $3,500 for the trip.

The next stop on his bucket list tour is a visit to the UK, where Joe has relatives — a jaunt Betty hopes to raise the funds for.

Unfortunately, her father’s condition has worsened substantially in the meantime to the point that he has to write everything down on sticky notes.

Despite going to therapy, Betty believes he eventually won’t be able to drive because he forgets where he’s going.

“He forgets locations, dates, he asks me how I’ve been four or six times,” the distraught daughter added. “It’s frustrating for him because he wants to be present but he can’t. It’s sad to see him go.”

Betty knows it’s only a matter of time before her father forgets her as well. “I don’t want my dad to forget me,” said the Nevadan, who’s main goal is to “cherish the moments we have right now.”

Despite the dire prognosis, Joe says he still has a lot left on his bucket list. “I want to go to Scotland, Israel, England, Ireland and Italy,” he said. “I want to go sky diving and to see the Chargers play at Sofi Stadium.”

He added, “Then I want to have all of my grandkids and kids around me all at once. It’s a dream of mine.”

Betty says she owes it to help the man who’s sacrificed so much for his family.

“My dad would give me the world if he could,” she declared. “I want to give him something to live for while he can.”