Erja Häkkinen has spoken openly about her memory disorder in public.
Entrepreneur Erja Häkkinen, 64, and Alwaysdaughter, 20, they say We Women in the interview, how Erja’s memory disorder has affected the relationship between mother and daughter.
Previously, Erja has spoken in public about the onset of dementia. Now, from an interview with Me Naisten, it becomes clear that it is Alzheimer’s disease.
Aina says that she notices a change in the relationship between them in everyday moments. While mother used to give instructions when cooking, Aina now tells what to chop and mix at which stage.
– Now the dynamic between us has changed, the roles have changed. I can no longer trust and rely on my mother for everything like before. Now it’s my turn to take care of my mother more, Aina says in the interview.
In the interview, Aina also talks about the moment she found out about her mother’s dementia. In the summer of 2023, he paid attention to his mother’s memory problems and became worried.
When the memory problems persisted, loved ones pondered what would be wisest in the situation. Together, they came to the same conclusion: it would be wisest for Erjan to move to her boyfriend Mika Karttunen in Finland. In Finland, Erja was investigated until they found out what it was all about.
– My mother called me and told me that she had early stage Alzheimer’s disease, which fortunately had not progressed far yet. Instead of panicking, I felt relieved because I finally found a reason for the symptoms and I was already sure in advance that it would be something like that, Aina tells Me Nais.
2 September 2025. Interview with Erja Häkkinen and Aivoliitto CEO Jenni Pajunen.Erja Häkkinen. Jenni PajunenPhoto: Henri Kärkkäinen, IL Henri Karkkainen
Erja Häkkinen has spoken openly about her memory disorder in public. In September, he told Iltalehti about his experiences with the disease. The initial stage of the disease has not scared Erja, even though the diagnosis came as a surprise.
– The doctors have said that there is nothing wrong with me yet. Then it’s an emergency when it comes to the fact that I’m walking on that road, and suddenly I don’t know where I am, Erja said.
Erja also said that the doctor gave her instructions on how to slow down the progression of the memory disease.
– He said that you eat two raw carrots every morning. Since then, I’ve been eating two raw carrots every single morning. I don’t know if it helps, but at least it makes me feel good.
Erja Häkkinen and her husband, screenwriter Mika Karttunen, have been together for over 16 years. The couple moved in together for the first time when Erja moved to Finland. He used to live in Monaco.
Previously, Erja was married to F1 driver Mika Häkkinen. The couple divorced in 2008. The ex-couple has two adult children: Always and Hugo.
