Support Loren Cordain's Fight Against FTD

Go Fund Me Letter from a Dear Friend of the Cordain Family

Loren Cordain has spent his life helping others. As the founder of and the scientist behind The Paleo Diet, he wrote the original book that coined the name back in 2001.

Loren was recently diagnosed with a condition called Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). This may sound familiar because it is the same condition that has affected the actor, Bruce Willis. FTD is an uncommon condition that strikes as early as age 40 and has a strong genetic component. While Loren has helped so many people through their health challenges, the fact is there are some things that a healthy diet and exercise simply can’t prevent.

FTD affects a person’s behavior and their ability to understand language. Loren started showing symptoms of FTD recently and these symptoms continue to progress. He now needs professional support that his wife, Lorrie, and their family cannot provide. We are deeply saddened to know that eventually Loren is likely to lose the ability to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues. We are dreading that day for him. Loren’s greatest passion has been his relationships with his family and friends as well as his regular dialogues with the science and nutrition community. Losing this will be devastating for him.

Loren spent his entire career at Colorado State University. Throughout his 32-year tenure and retirement years, he was contacted by thousands of people who adopted the Paleo Diet lifestyle and experienced life-changing health benefits and resolved or improved medical conditions. Hearing these stories brought him great joy. It was important to him to respond to their emails, answer questions, meet in person, or take their phone calls.

Supported by Loren’s professor salary, the Cordain family raised their family on a modest income. Dr. Cordain believed so passionately in helping others that he dedicated decades to researching nutrition. When his first book turned The Paleo Diet into an international phenomenon, Loren was delighted to help people find a healthier way to eat. While the success of The Paleo Diet brought him international fame, it did not make him wealthy. As an academic, he felt it was his responsibility to give his knowledge away. He never tried to sell supplements or special foods because in his words, “Optimal nutrition is simply vegetables, fruits, natural meats and seafood, nuts, and seeds.” When he was asked how to implement The Paleo Diet, his best advice was to shop at the local farmer’s market. His motivation for all his research was to help others improve their health and well-being using reliable information as their guide.

All this to say that dementia care is incredibly expensive. The Cordain family needs your help. A basic care facility for people with FTD costs thousands per month—and these services are not covered by insurance. Tragically, we know Loren’s condition will worsen and his family and friends want to provide for his quality of life for as long as possible.

Would you please help? Dr. Cordain has helped millions of people during his career and is now in need himself. Your support will help his family give him the care he needs to provide him with the quality of life he so deserves. Simple pleasures such as going for long walks, swimming at the local pool, and spending quality time with his family and friends are what he hopes for. We are doing everything we can to make these activities, and much more, a reality for him.

On behalf of the scientist who sparked a movement that continues to improve countless lives, we hope our community will support Dr. Loren Cordain in his time of need. Thank you for your support. It means the world to his family.

Suzanne Biedscheid

Friend of the Cordain Family