Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin recently shared that his wife of 34 years, Sandy, has Alzheimer’s disease. The 58-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that his wife, who is also 58 years old, has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and that she’s been dealing with the disease for five or six years.

Irvin told the outlet that his wife, who now requires round-the-clock care and a live-in caretaker, has trouble walking, speaking and will remain in the family home. Irvin said in a text to the Star-Telegram, “If anyone has earned the right to stay in her house, MY WIFE HAS!!! That I shall honor. No matter what it takes.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, early-onset Alzheimer’s (also known as younger-onset) impacts people younger than 65, and symptoms can develop as young as 30. Younger/early-onset Alzheimers is “much less common” and affects people under the age of 65, per the Alzheimer’s Association.

People in their 40s and 50s are most likely to be diagnosed with it, and getting an accurate diagnosis “can be a long and frustrating process,” per the non-profit. “Doctors do not understand why most cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s appear at such a young age,” the website reads. “But in a few hundred families worldwide, scientists have pinpointed several rare genes that directly cause Alzheimer’s.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, with 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older living with it in 202

According to ProFootballTalk, The couple began dating during his college football days at Miami and will celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary later this month. In a post on Instagram celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary, Irvin said, “Thank God for 33yrs of marriage and 38yrs total with the greatest BLESSING and GIFT he has ever BESTOWED on me.”