Fiona Phillips has revealed exactly what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s, after being diagnosed with the degenerative disease at the age of 61.
In her new book, Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer’s, the former TV presenter – who is now 64 – has shared the heartbreaking realities of the disease.
Husband Martin Frizell has also shared Fiona’s plea to him: “Please don’t leave me.”
Fiona Phillips has shared a heartbreaking insight into her ‘frightening’ life with Alzheimer’s (Credit: Splash News)
Fiona Phillips’ new book
Fiona Phillips and husband Martin said they decided to write the book to give others hope.
“I hope this book can show people a little about what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s,” Fiona wrote in the book. “How frightening and confusing it is. But also how much life can still bring joy and be valued.”
Last week, it appeared Fiona was doing just that, as Martin shared a video of the star enjoying an ice cream in the London sunshine.
Memories ‘out of reach’
Fiona previously admitted that she always knew she’d get the disease. Both her mum and her dad were both diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. However, she didn’t think it would happen to her until a lot later on in life.
Now, the star – who shares grown-up sons Nathaniel and Mackenzie with Martin – is being cared for by the ex-This Morning boss.
In the book, they detail the family kitchen, strewn with pictures of their family holidays and snaps taken during Fiona’s illustrious career. However, Fiona admitted that the memories of the happy times depicted in the pictures are now “out of reach” to her.
“I know they are there. And yet so many of them feel out of my reach now,” she explained. “It’s like I stretch out to touch them, but then just as I’m about to grasp it, the memory skips away from me. And I can’t catch up with it. Like trying to chase a £5 note that’s fallen out of your purse on a gusty day.
“Each time I think I’ve caught it, it whips away again.”
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