Fiona’s fatal battle: People laughed as Mum cried. I still have nightmares
Fiona Phillips bravely opens up about one of the most shocking moments in her mother’s battle with dementia...
The cruellest of conditions, Alzheimer’s made fresh headlines recently as it was revealed that legendary crooner Tony Bennett, 94, had been diagnosed with the dreaded disease in 2016.
Tony’s wife, Susan, updated fans, saying ‘there’s a lot about him’ that she misses because he’s not the old Tony any more. ‘But, when he sings, he’s the old Tony.’
TV presenter Fiona Phillips believes the couple have gone public as his symptoms ‘must be worsening’.
And sadly, Fiona knows exactly what ‘worsening symptoms’ means – having cared for and lost both parents to Alzheimer’s – her mum, Amy, in 2006, and her father, Phillip, six years later. She has admitted before she ‘still has nightmares’ about their Alzheimer’s battles.
Having been in the situation herself, the 60-year-old made light of the news, ‘Let’s hope he doesn’t go around singing Patsy Cline’s Crazy all over town, like Dad did when he lived with the cruel condition in his early 60s. We were quite an attraction when I took him out for walks!’
Fiona then shared a more heartbreaking story about her mother – a woman she has previously said was ‘always an eccentric character’ – revealing just how shocking, and often deeply embarrassing, a person’s decline with this condition can be.
‘My mum started changing in her mid-50s and spent most of the rest of her life constantly crying because she knew she was literally losing her mind,’ said Fiona.
‘I recall one truly awful incident in a Marks & Spencer store when she blithely started taking her clothes off and people gathered around to laugh while she cried. I have never felt so angry, so sad, so helpless.’
It must be horrendous for a daughter or a mother – to have reached the stage in her illness that she was entirely unashamed about stripping off in a busy department store.
Tragically, as well as the fond memories, these shocking ones must be emblazoned on Fiona’s mind.
As the broadcaster explained in a Sunday Express column, there is more hope these days. Hope that other families won’t have to go through such pain with their own loved ones.
‘Knowing that cracking a cure for this cruel, vile illness is a major priority is encouraging; thankfully many studies are going on in the UK, US, Italy and other parts of the world.
‘For those of us who’ve seen the damage this horrible, incurable condition can wreak, a breakthrough can’t come soon enough.’
‘Cracking a cure for this cruel, vile illness is a major priority’