Sept. 30 event shines light on little-known dementia through personal stories and community advocacy

September 28, 2026

Three years ago, when Dr. Kathleen Hanold Watland’s husband was diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), she quickly discovered not only the devastating realities of the disease, but also how little support existed for families facing it. Rather than navigating that challenge alone, the Indiana Tech professor and former Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Indiana Tech, decided to help change that.

Today, alongside retired Franklin Electric Vice President of Marketing Diann Scott, whose late husband also lived with FTD, Watland leads the only frontotemporal degeneration support group in Indiana. On Sept. 30, they will bring their mission of education, awareness and hope to Indiana Tech during a free public event dedicated to raising awareness of a disease that remains largely unknown despite being the most common form of dementia affecting people under age 60.

The Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week Celebration will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, in the Multi-Flex Theater of Indiana Tech’s Snyder Academic Center. The event will feature representatives from the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), a panel of local medical experts, caregivers and advocates and special proclamations recognizing FTD Awareness Week from the City of Fort Wayne and the State of Indiana.

For Watland, the event represents both a personal milestone and a broader community opportunity.

“Many people have never heard of FTD until it affects someone they love,” she said. “When my husband was diagnosed, I learned there were very few resources in our area and almost no public awareness of the disease. We wanted to create a place where people could find support, connect with others and know they are not facing this journey alone. Indiana Tech has been incredibly supportive in providing this resource to our community.”

FTD, sometimes referred to as frontotemporal dementia or Pick’s disease, is a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss is not always the most prominent symptom. Instead, individuals often experience changes in behavior, personality, language and executive functioning. The disease can have profound effects on family relationships, employment and the health of caregivers.

After completing facilitator training through AFTD, Watland launched the Fort Wayne-area support group in January 2025 with support from Indiana Tech. It was the only FTD support group in the entire state of Indiana. During that training, she learned Indiana was among a small number of states that had no formal recognition or awareness efforts dedicated to FTD. Working with Fort Wayne City Councilman Geoff Paddock, she and her support group helped secure a city proclamation designating the last week of September as Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week. Recently, Scott led the support group to secure a proclamation from State of Indiana.

The Sept. 30 event is free and open to the public. Pizza will be provided, and walk-ins are welcome. Attendees may also RSVP by contacting Watland. Presentations will include information about FTD, available support resources and ways community members can become advocates for those affected by the disease.

For more information about frontotemporal degeneration and the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, visit aftd.org.