I’ve had cancer, my son and my wife too. But when she got dementia, people said there is no help. I’m taking a Formula 1 approach to this.. there is always hope
MOTOR RACING LEGEND ON HIS HEARTBREAK OVER WIFE’S DIAGNOSIS AND HIS MISSION TO FIND A CURE
Jackie Stewart has spoken of his heartbreak over his wife Helen’s battle with dementia – but is adamant a cure can be found.
The Formula 1 legend says his family’s cancer scares were easier to cope with than dealing with his 75-year- old wife’s desperate fight with the brain disease.
Sir Jackie, Helen and son Paul have all beaten cancer in the past.
Now Dumbarton- born Jackie, 78, is determined his charity Race Against Dementia can make a breakthrough and is refusing to give up hope.
He said: “This is the biggest challenge I’ve ever taken on. Helen’s had cancer, Paul’s had cancer, I had cancer – nothing very serious but we all had it.
“Now, suddenly, Helen gets dementia and everybody just shakes their head and says, ‘I’m sorry, Jackie, we don’t have any answers, no cures, no preventative medicine.’
“So that’s why we’ve got a big push going. That’s why I called my charity Race Against Dementia. We can’t wait another 25 years.”
Jackie set up the charity to speed up the hunt and pay for more research into a cure and help advance the treatment of sufferers.
He has already put £ 1million of his cash into the charity.
The racing hero also raised an incredible £540,000 to combat dementia at a Monaco fundraiser last month.
Jackie said: “It’s likely to be too late to find a cure for Helen. But why can’t we find a drug that would at least give Helen more ease of the experience?
“My goal is to not only find a cure but, perhaps even more importantly, to find a preventative medicine for it.
“I don’t know if Helen appreciates me going public about her diagnosis sometimes. I can understand that but, on the other hand, it’s the only way for us to raise money for other people.
“This is not just about Helen – it’s a global problem. I don’t know why there’s a stigma. We’re happy to talk about cancer – it’s a strange thing.”
Helen was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia nearly four years ago and Jackie has been devastated by how the condition has affected his wife of 54 years.
The multimillionaire employs neuro-
specialist nurses to help with Helen round the clock.
One of the hardest things for Jackie is that stricken Helen doesn’t realise there’s anything wrong.
He said: “She’s still struggling with admitting that she’s got dementia. And that’s not unusual either.
“She forgets a lot and you can’t say, ‘I told you.’ It’s difficult to remember names. She can’t remember her own address. And there are mood changes.
“A big consolation is she remembers me still.
“Helen likes going out for dinner or lunch. We’re lucky we can do these things. I know that not everybody can.”
Jackie says that, despite his family’s life being turned upside down by Helen’s condition, the darkest time was when they were told she was ill.
He said: “The worst moment is still being told Helen had dementia. It’s a terrible shockock to the family to watch this. It’s a real shock because it affects your whole life.
“It’s not an easy one to deal with – the deterioration of somebody you love.
“There has been a lot of change in the past year. Her walking, for example, is definitely less good and we have a wheelchair for her.
“We basically have to have two neuro nurses with her all the time for 24 hours because she falls at night and she can’t get up. I’m lucky enough I’m in a position to look after her personally. Very few people can afford that.
“Now it’s very important that nobody thinks Helen is being supported by Race Against Dementia. That’s not charged against the charity. That comes out of my pocket.”
The Sunday Ma i l has been camcampaigning for football authorities to funfund more dementia research because of the alarming number of ex-players who havhave been hit with it.
ThThe failure of bodies such as Fifa, the FA, PFA and SFA to bankroll scientific studies is tthrown into stark contrast by the fact JacJackie donated £1million to launch his chacharity and has raised more than £540,000 in fundraising.f
AskedA if he’s disappointed that football is nnot doing more, he said: “Where there’s a wwill, there’s a way. Research is the key. CuCurrently there is no cure and, worse still, eveeven after 20 years of billions being spespent on research, there is no preventative memedicine either.
“It costs more to care for a demdementia patient than the comcombined total of cancer and heaheart disease. Now, for the NHS or any health organisation, thathat’s a problem.
“The cost to the nation is horrendous. So something has to be done.
“There are 850million people in the world who cur rent ly have dementia. This is not just a question of Helen Stewart.”
He added: “I’m taking a Formula 1 approach to this. And F1 is a good example because we f ind solutions faster than any industry, including the aerospace industry.
“Nobody’s ever approached it like this before so it’s a new way of doing business and tackling this.
“At the moment, it’s not like cancer, where if you catch it early enough, you can get cured. In the case of Helen, this is an illness that so far nobody has the answer to. That must change.”
It’s so hard to deal with the deterioration of somebody you love