Windsor calls for marathon support as she speaks out on dementia battle
0 Barbara Windsor: appeal for help to tackle dementia Barbara Windsor appeared on video for the first time to speak publicly about dementia - as her husband said that “there is still so much of her there” despite her illness.
With her trademark twinkle in her eye, the ex-carry On and Eastenders’ star, 81, was filmed in her home.
She called on people to run next year’s London Marathon in aid of a campaign to raise funds and change attitudes towards the condition.
Wearing a blue Dementia Revolution T-shirt and her blonde hair up in a bun, she says: “I’m asking you to make a stand against dementia.”
Taking part will “support groundbreaking research to find a cure for a condition that affects so many people, like me. With your help we can and will end dementia with research”. Her husband Scott Mitchell announced he will run the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon for his wife and the millions of people around the world who suffer from dementia.
“The last few years have been really hard for both Barbara and me as we got used to the profound effect dementia has had on our lives,” he says.
“I have seen many changes in Barbara since her diagnosis and at times its effects can be stronger than others. We kept her diagnosis quiet for so long and we were really nervous about going public with the news - but when we did, there was such an incredible reaction of love and support.
“Sometimes Barbara still thinks no-one knows about her condition and makes a big thing of keeping it a secret when we see people we know or meet people out and about. Despite all the changes in Bardame bara, there is still so much of her there. Her humour, wit and care for others for example. It is her humour I love the most.”
Alzheimer’s Research UK chief executive Hilary Evans said: “We’re urgently calling on people who have secured a place in the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon to stand with us, join the Dementia Revolution and help change the lives of people with dementia.”