Suranne Jones has revealed some heartbreaking details of her late mother's battle with dementia. The Gentleman Jack actress lost her mum, Jenny, two and a half years ago after she passed away from Vascular Dementia, a common type of dementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. Detailing how Jenny's dementia "accelerated" following her diagnosis, Suranne revealed that simple tasks such as getting dressed became more difficult for her.
"Sometimes when you talk about dementia, people imagine it’s a term that only refers to old people," she said. "My mum was diagnosed at quite a young age, in her late fifties, and her dementia accelerated quite fast." Suranne was speaking in a film for Alzheimer’s Society ahead of Cupcake Day on 13 June, one of the charity’s flagship events. In the film, Suranne teamed up with Paul Hoskins, 59, who has a rare form of dementia called Pick’s disease, to bake cakes using a recipe passed down through generations of Paul’s family.
Suranne and Paul
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Discussing how dementia has affected them both, Suranne added: "Hearing how Paul is going through some of the same things that my mum faced was really touching. He explained how day to day activities like getting dressed have become challenging for him. My mum had started to put two skirts on and her top back to front." She added: "As my mum was a similar age to Paul when she was diagnosed, it was enlightening to meet someone who was going through a similar experience to hers, with such optimism and strength."
Cupcake Day is June 13
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Suranne has previously spoken about the affects her mother's death had on her, telling The Mirror last year: "At the time, it didn’t occur to me that I might lose her. Now…I can really appreciate how brave she was. ‘Mum’s illness brought our family closer and made us realise what an amazing person she is."
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