BROADCASTER and journalist Fiona Phillips has said she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 62.
Speaking to a national newspaper, the former GMTV presenter discovered she had the disease a year ago after suffering months of brain fog and anxiety
She said dementia had ‘decimated’ her family after her mother, father and uncle also had the disease.
The mother of two said she was trying to ‘carry on as normal’, but wanted to share her story to help others.
She said despite fearing she would one day be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it had still come as a shock when her doctor said her test results showed early stages of the disease.
“It’s something I might have thought I’d get at 80”, she says. “But I was still only 61 years old.”
The presenter said she felt “more angry than anything else” because the disease had already had such an impact on her family life.
“My poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us,” she said.
If you’re worried that you, or someone close to you, might have dementia, call the National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or e-mail [email protected] for advice and support.
