Fiona Phillips reveals her battle with fear of inheriting Alzheimer's

Fiona Phillips is scared of falling victim to Alzheimer's

FORMER GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips has told how she wakes in the night fearing she will inherit Alzheimer’s.

Both her parents died of the disease and the presenter is so scared of falling victim she has made plans to protect her family should she also be struck down.

The breakfast TV star is 53, the same age her mother Amy was when she started showing early symptoms of the illness which eventually killed her in 2006 age 74. 

Fiona’s father, Phil, died in 2012 aged 76.

She decided to make an “action plan” to ensure her husband, TV producer Martin Frizell, and sons, Nathaniel, 16, and Mackenzie, 12, were not burdened.

“I fear inheriting the disease and I sometimes wake up in the night feeling anxious and worried,” she said.

I fear inheriting the disease and I sometimes wake up in the night feeling anxious and worried

Fiona Phillips

“My parents were relatively young when they got it. My mum was in her early 50s, although at the time we just put it down to her being eccentric.

“My dad was in his early 60s when he began behaving oddly.

“Although it looms large in my life and I do find myself checking for signs I try to keep it in proportion, otherwise it would rule my life.

“It’s when my two brothers and I get together that we talk about the likelihood of it. I still have nightmares about what they (her parents) went through.

“It was heartbreaking. The end is slow and undignified.”

Fiona has frequently campaigned for improved care for Alzheimer’s sufferers. She once had a genetic test to find out the likelihood of her falling victim to it, but never returned for the results.

She added: “If a doctor told me I had an 80 per cent chance it would put a massive thundercloud over the rest of my life. Also, what would be the point? There’s no cure, so I’d just be left constantly worrying.

“I’m going to sit down and research care homes and put it all in a document so Martin doesn’t have to do that in a panic or emergency, like I had to.

“Also, I’ll write a list for him so that he knows about running the house, the boys, and basically how things should be done if I’m not here. 

“He doesn’t see the need because he’s lovely and incredibly reassuring and always says ‘don’t worry about it, I’m sure it won’t happen to you.’ Well, hopefully it won’t, but it might, and I’d rather be prepared.”