Mike Tindall has revealed his dad’s battle against Parkinson’s disease is a “nightmare”.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain today (Thursday 11 April), the rugby star revealed his heartbreak at seeing the deterioration of his dad Phillip in the past 12 months.
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Now campaigning for The Cure Parkinson’s Trust, Mike insisted there needs to be a better understanding of the condition, as symptoms can often be misinterpreted.
The former England captain, who is now a member of the Royal family after marrying Zara, the daughter of Anne and Mark Phillips, told GMB hosts Adil Ray and Ranvir Singh that people with the disease often don’t know they have it because they confuse the symptoms with being drunk.
He said: “It’s a nightmare disease. There are over 40 different symptoms of what Parkinson’s can look like.
“The research that has come out says how many people feel they are drunk, people can suddenly freeze in the middle of the street and you might upset somebody walking behind you…”
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He added: “You have got to have patience with [sufferers], they are not trying to freeze or get stuck in a doorway. Things like doorways become real big problems for my dad, he just can’t get through a doorway.”
Of his dad’s own diagnosis, Mike admitted he was “very blasé” when he first got diagnosed in 2003.
He said: “He didn’t really show signs, it was just a small tremor in one of his arms. He had this tremor for maybe a couple of years before that but, being a typical bloke, he probably didn’t address the issue early enough… The sooner you get on the drugs, the slower the progression is going to be.
“He was good for a long period of time, 10 years or so. But the last five years, we’ve seen it catch up on him. Especially the last year.”
‘It’s getting rid of the assumptions of what people think Parkinson’s looks like.’ @miketindall13 shares his experience of his dad’s Parkinson's disease, and his efforts to raise awareness 👉 https://t.co/B485MRzKVj
#WorldParkinsonsDay pic.twitter.com/5oAMT4Xcnu
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 11, 2019
Host Adil Ray then revealed for the first time that his own mum suffers from the disease, too, saying: “My own mother is a sufferer and I have never really spoken about it before, just to protect her.”
Mike added: “People assume it’s old people, but it’s not necessarily. There are people as young as 18 who have been diagnosed.”
He also stressed that no two people with the disease have the same experience.
Treatment involves “a concoction of drugs” which need to be taken throughout the day.
However, despite the treatment, Mike explained that his dad’s symptoms are getting worse.
He said: “It’s deteriorated. He had a really bad year last year. My dad was probably sitting at 12 stone but, over six months ago, he got Ulcerative Colitis and he went down to eight stone. Suddenly all that strength is taken out of him which makes those symptoms even worse.”
Despite his condition, Mike said Phillip still wants to play rugby with his grandkids Mia and Lena, but has to be careful as “he is not in the same physical shape that he used to be”.
The Sport Relief star also gave his opinion on the impending arrival of the new Royal baby, saying he thinks Prince Harry, who is godfather to his daughter Lena, will take to fatherhood well.
He concluded: “I think Harry will be a great parent, he has always been good around the kids whenever they get together, so I think he is looking forward to it. Hopefully it will just all go well.”
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