SAD NEWS: Princess Anne’s son-in-law burst in Tears as he issues emotional plea after TRAGEDY Struck his family
SAD NEWS: Princess Anne’s son-in-law burst in Tears as he issues emotional plea after TRAGEDY Struck his family
Mike Tindall has made an emotional appeal for more volunteers to participate in clinical trials following a poignant update on his family’s health situation.
The ex-England rugby star, aged 46 and husband to Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter, has been personally touched by Parkinson’s disease since his father Philip was diagnosed with the condition in 2003.
This progressive neurological condition results from damage to certain brain areas over time. Although there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s as per NHS information, treatments are available to alleviate symptoms and enhance life quality.
Mike, alongside Zara, supported a fundraising event for Cure Parkinson’s and the Matt Hampson Foundation. According to HELLO! magazine, he urged for increased volunteer support to advance the search for a cure.
He shared: “Watching my dad deteriorate over the years has been hard, and the effect it has taken on everyone in the family – not least my mum, as primary carer – is something you don’t fully appreciate until it happens to you.”
He continued: “There’s still, sadly, no cure but there are more trials happening, as well as more drugs being identified to trial in the future. I would ask anyone recently diagnosed to reach out to Cure Parkinson’s, as we need more volunteers to help push these trials forward.
Parkinson’s disease stems from the degeneration of nerve cells in the substantia nigra part of the brain, leading to insufficient dopamine production, which is crucial for body movement regulation.
Individuals with Parkinson’s disease often experience tremors, slow movement and rigidity in their muscles, along with other potential physical and mental effects.
The NHS lists symptoms that can accompany the condition, such as depression, balance issues, sleeplessness, and memory difficulty. The onset of symptoms typically begins post 50 years of age, although some may notice them in their 40s.
Mike disclosed on BBC Breakfast that changes in his father weren’t apparent until a later time. He remarked: “I wouldn’t have known until…I don’t think I really noticed until the late 2000s probably.”
He reflected on what he might have done differently: “That is something I look…not judge myself on…it’s easy in hindsight let’s look back and what would I have done differently. I’d have been on him more about exercising, staying stronger but the research in that time probably wasn’t where it is now, where it’s so easy to find what you should be doing, or notice all the signs like shuffling, freezing, quietness of voice, impatience, whatever it may be.”
Mike Tindall, a former Gloucester Rugby player, met his wife Zara in Australia during the 2003 Rugby World Cup. They tied the knot in Edinburgh in 2011.
They now share children Mia, 11, Lena, six and four-year-old Lucas. The family live in their own home on the Princess Royal’s Gatcombe Estate in Gloucestershire.
It’s advised to see a GP for anyone detecting signs of Parkinson’s disease to get redirected to a specialist if necessary.
