Former top judge Dylan Sullivan first realized something was wrong with her brain when everyday legal terms, like restraining orders and injunctions, started to feel foreign.
Things became even scarier when she started mixing up her words, often saying the exact opposite of what she meant – like ‘yes’ instead of ‘no.’
After consulting top specialists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the then-56-year-old was diagnosed with the same untreatable brain disorder as Bruce Willis: primary progressive aphasia (PPA).
The condition, an early form of dementia which tends to begin between age 40 to 60, affects the nerve cells in the areas of the brain that affect language, speaking and writing.
While Ms Sullivan’s ability to communicate has gradually deteriorated to the point where she is now using a tablet, a new talent has emerged which has left her friends, family and doctors stunned.
The Californian, who spent nine years working at the El Dorado County Superior Court, found that she suddenly developed a talent for art.
One of her close friends Khymberli Apaloo, who is a superior court judge in San Bernardino County and president of the California Judges Association, told the San Francisco Chronicle: ‘I’ve known her for a long time, and she could not draw.
Former top judge Dylan Sullivan discovered she had a the same untreatable brain disorder as Bruce Willis. Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a rare neurological disorder, with an estimated prevalence of three to four per 100,000 people
While Ms Sullivan’s ability to communicate has deteriorated to the point where she is now using a tablet, a new talent has emerged which has left her friends, family and doctors stunned
‘To see that transformation is stunning. Absolutely stunning.’
Meanwhile Elizabeth Disbrow, who is another long-term friend and coincidentally the director of the Center for Brain Health at Louisiana State University Health, said: ‘I don’t think I ever saw her doodle.
‘That part of her brain was not engaged. My childhood was different. My mom took me to art class. I’m sure she had none of that.’
Since her PPA diagnosis in April 2023, the former judge has spent her days creating extremely detailed drawings.
Experts at UCSF say Ms Sullivan’s case is not unusual, and they have seen a small group of patients with PPA who develop new creative skills in music and art as their language skills decline.
They believe that this is because as one area of the brain deteriorates, other areas of the brain compensate and therefore new skills are unleashed.
In PPA, damage occurs to the temporal lobes on either side of the head nearest the ears leading to language problems.
It often begins with behavioral changes, such as starting to carry out actions that are socially inappropriate, apathetic or impulsive.
But – unlike in Alzheimer’s – patients can still remember recent events.
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a rare neurological disorder, with just 50,000 Americans living with the condition.
Ms Sullivan spent nine years working at the El Dorado County Superior Court
Experts at UCSF say Ms Sullivan’s case is not unusual, and they have seen a small group of patients with PPA who develop new creative skills in music and art as their language skills decline
It can manifest itself in multiple ways, and is often either the result of a head injury, a stroke, a tumor or other brain deterioration.
Offering an insight as to what the condition is like Darlene Williamson, the president of the National Aphasia Association, previously told DailyMail.com: ‘Imagine being dropped in a country where you do not speak the language – cannot understand, read, write or speak.
‘It would impact all of your interactions – this is what it is like to have aphasia.’
Other famous examples of aphasia include former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, who have less severe forms of the disorder.
There are four common types of aphasia that make up a vast majority of cases: fluent – often called Wernicke’s; non-fluent – known as Broca’s; anomic; and Primary Progressive Aphasia.
Primary Progressive Aphasia damages a person’s ability to communicate in virtually every single way.
A person suffering from this version of the condition will have trouble speaking, reading and writing.
The Californian found that she suddenly developed a love of art after her PPA diagnosis
Doctors can often detect aphasia via either an MRI or CT scan, and will be able to pinpoint the exact part of the brain that is causing the issue (stock image)
Their ability to process and understand someone that is speaking to them is damaged as well.
It is not always permanent, though, and how long it lasts and how severe it is often depends on how bad the damage to the brain is.
Doctors can often detect aphasia via either an MRI or CT scan, and will be able to pinpoint the exact part of the brain that is causing the issue.
There is no way to fix or cure the condition entirely, but patients will often undergo speech therapy to help rebuild their language skills.
‘There’s not a lot of progress [with medication for the condition]… the treatment for aphasia is speech therapy,’ Dr Brenda Rapp, a cognitive scientist at Johns Hopkins University, told DailyMail.com.
She noted that in some cases a person may undergo electric stimulation therapy alongside speech therapy in order to ‘get the most’ out of the experience.
Ms Williamson said that ‘strong family support is a critical piece of living successfully with aphasia.’
While Ms Sullivan lives alone, she has a Pitbull called Storm to keep her company and she is regularly visited by friends.
However, she plans to move into a specialized home next year to get the care she needs.
To date, she has completed more than 30 artworks and there are talks of them possibly being shown in an exhibition to help raise awareness around aphasia.
