Davina McCall has taken to Instagram to open up about her father's battle with Alzheimer's disease. She shared a photo of her mum and dad alongside one another in honour of World Alzheimer's Day, with a lengthy caption detailing how her family have been coping.
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"This is my mum and dad. Dad (Andrew… total legend) has Alzheimer's. My mum has cared for him so brilliantly. He is now in a wonderful home, where they take amazing care of him. It's been hard on my mum but she was at breaking point. He is ok, but it is f**king heartbreaking this illness.
"The worst thing is the loss of dignity – there are great inroads being made into new treatments. I heard of great hope of a new one in Australia very recently. Two thirds of Alzheimer's patients are women. Taking HRT is known to reduce your risk of getting it.
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© Photo: InstagramDavina McCall shared a rare photo of her parents Florence and Andrew
"If you know anyone with Alzheimer's, @alzheimerssoc are so helpful, my heart goes out to anyone supporting a loved one with Alzheimer's or anyone that's lost someone to this cruel illness. And a heartfelt thank you to my mum x You are the best Gabba. Love you. #WorldAlzheimersDay."
Davina's friends and fellow stars took to the comments section to share their well wishes. Jools Oliver wrote: "Wonderful mum and dad," while Patsy Palmer added: "Sending love to you. Devastating illness. So heartbreaking."
Long Lost Family host Davina's post also struck a chord with her fans, and particularly those who have found themselves in the same situation. "I've just lost my mum to Alzheimer's," one wrote. "She had it for ten years, I'm so angry," and another agreed: "It's a cruel and wicked disease. I lost my mum to it in June although I lost her a long time ago. My thoughts are with you."
Our hearts go out to Davina and her family during this difficult time.
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