‘I leave in tears’ – F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart heartbreakingly recalls moment his wife forgot who he was
FORMULA ONE legend Jackie Stewart has bravely recalled the moment his wife forgot who he was.
Helen Stewart, 84, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2014 after losing control of her car.
Nobody was injured in the accident but it made her and the F1 icon realise that something was wrong.
In the years following her diagnosis, Helen experienced behaviour and language changes.
She is now also no longer able to walk.
And recently, Helen was unable to recognise her husband.
Sir Jackie opened up about the moment during an interview with the BBC.
He said: “Just the other day it was time for dinner, she’s getting up and I’m sitting close by, and she says, ‘Where’s Jackie?’
“That’s the first time that’s happened and that’s only a few weeks ago.
“A bad feeling came over me.”
Stewart then described Helen’s mind as being “in a new world” as her condition worsens.
He continued: “I know that Helen doesn’t mean it when she suddenly goes round and hits me, or the [specialist dementia] nurses.
“She can hit somebody quite often, she uses language that she’s never ever said in her life and it comes like that [clicks his fingers] and I say ‘darling, darling, don’t say that’.
“She says ‘Why?’ And she’ll give me a row for doing that. That’s usually after 17:00.”
Stewart has created an accessible home in Switzerland for Helen without steps or obstacles.
He also employs nurses and specialist neurosurgeons.
Following his wife’s dementia diagnosis, Sir Jackie founded Race Against Dementia – a charity that aims to accelerate global research in a bid to find a cure for the condition.