Former Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati has revealed the tragic news that her mother Asha has passed away after a long battle with dementia. The actress paid a touching tribute to her mum on social media on Wednesday, revealing she lost her fight with the degenerative disease "a few weeks ago". Sharing a moving post accompanied by a picture of her mum, Shobna wrote: "Our beautiful mum passed away, a few weeks ago, peacefully in her sleep. Still processing, these days are hard."
The 53-year-old added: "She was our lynchpin connecting us as a family. Our lives are changed and life is very different now. She did her very best and in the last 25 years I grew to know her as a person and the amazing woman that was our mum and for that circumstance and time I am truly grateful. She taught me such a lot… but not how to live without her. Completely heartbroken."
Shobna shared a stunning tribute to her mother
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In a previous blog for Alzheimer’s Research UK, Shobna revealed that her mum was living with vascular dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders, that is, conditions affecting the brain. Detailing her mother's everyday life with the condition, the star explained: "We’ve always been close. Living around the corner to Mum meant she’s always been a major influence in my life. It’s not so easy for Mum to keep up any more these days, and she prefers to stay at home. Every day, every hour, every second can be different. Some days we laugh and laugh together, some days Mum just can’t find comfort in anything. There is so much stigma about dementia, particularly in South Asian communities. This weighs strongly on mum and, to this day, she’s struggled to accept her diagnosis."
Shobna's mum passed away a few weeks ago
Shobna played Sunita Alahan in Corrie between 2001 and 2006, returning to the popular role between 2009 and 2013. She left Weatherfield permanently in 2013, during a dramatic pub fire storyline after her character had an affair with Karl Munro. During her stint, she had a number of high profile storylines, including being taken hostage by husband Dev’s stalker ex Maya Sharma.
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