TV presenter and Alzheimer’s Research UK supporter Fiona Phillips has been diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s disease.
In her Mirror column, the 62-year-old said she was diagnosed last year and has gone public in the hope she can help find a cure for the disease.
Fiona lost both of her parents to dementia – her mother Amy died with Alzheimer’s disease in May 2006 and her father, Neville, was diagnosed with the disease shortly after and passed away in February 2012.
Fiona has been a long-standing supporter of Alzheimer’s Research UK. In 2013 she attended ICAP Charity Day with the charity, joining brokers on the trading floor to raise funds for vital dementia research. In 2016, Fiona appeared on This Morning in support of our Santa Forgot campaign. And in 2018 she spoke candidly about her family experience of dementia at the charity’s House of Lords reception celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first grant given by Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Hilary Evans-Newton, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re sending our love and support to Fiona and her family following her announcement that she’s living with Alzheimer’s disease. It takes such courage to go public with a diagnosis and Fiona knows better than most just how much good that can do. Awareness is vital and Fiona’s bravery will help untold people who are going through their own dementia journeys.
Fiona’s been a friend of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s for well over a decade, and her support has shone such a valuable spotlight on the importance of research in overcoming the diseases that cause dementia.
There are around 70,800 people with dementia in the UK who, like Fiona, are under 65 and we’re determined to find a cure to end the heartbreak it causes. And we’re so grateful to Fiona for standing with us in our mission.”
For more information about young onset dementia, visit the Alzheimer’s Research UK website – www.alzheimersresearchuk.org
What is young onset dementia?
Young onset dementia is a term used for people who receive a diagnosis before the age of 65.
It is estimated that at around 70,800 people with dementia in the UK have young onset, and Alzheimer’s disease accounts for around one in three cases of young onset dementia.
It is thought at least five in every 100 people with Alzheimer’s are under 65. This figure may be higher as it can be more difficult to get an accurate diagnosis at a younger age.