Mike Tindall’s father Philip was diagnosed with Parkinson’s diseases more than two decades ago, but there is currently no cure for the condition
Mike Tindall has issued a plea for more people to come forward to volunteer for clinical trials as he issued a sad family health update.
Former England rugby player Mike, 46, is married to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara. In 2003, his father Philip was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
The condition sees parts of the brain becoming damaged over many years. The NHS says there is no cure for Parkinson’s, but some things can be done to lessen the symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Along with Zara, Mike recently attended an event to help fundraise for Cure Parkinson’s and the Matt Hampson Foundation. HELLO! magazine reports that it was there he called for more volunteers to help find a cure for the condition.
He said: “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.
“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 is caused by a loss of nerves in the substantia nigra. It means the body is unable to release dopamine, which plays a vital role in regulating the body.
People living with the condition often have tremors, slow movement and stiff muscles. Although it can prompt a host of other physical and mental symptoms.
These, the NHS says, can include depression, balance problems, insomnia and memory problems. Most people start developing symptoms after turning 50, although some people can show signs in their 40s.
Mike says it wasn’t until the “late 2000s” that he noticed a change in his father. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: “I wouldn’t have known until…I don’t think I really noticed until the late 2000s probably.
“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.”
Former Gloucester Rugby player Mike met Zara in Australia in 2003 when he was playing in the Rugby World Cup. The pair married 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.
Anyone who suspects they have Parkinson’s disease should contact their GP. Their doctor can then refer them to a specialist.
For more information about the condition, visit the NHS website.