Mike Tindall reveals ‘tough few years’ for family as father battles Parkinson’s
Mike Tindall has opened up about the devastating effect Parkinson’s disease has had on his father and the isolation his parents have faced during the pandemic.
The former England rugby player said that his mother Linda is reluctant to enlist help to care for his dad as she is a ‘very stoic, northern lady who refuses to give her man up’.
He acknowledged the importance of allowing professionals to take some of the burden and said he is trying to convince her to accept offers of support.
Mr Tindall, who is married to the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall, is a patron of Cure Parkinson’s. He joined forces with the Duchess of Gloucester, patron of Parkinson’s UK, for a video conversation to mark World Parkinson’s Day.
The pair praised those involved in supporting people with Parkinson’s and working to find a cure.
Mr Tindall said his father Philip, 74, was diagnosed in 2003 but that the last five years have been particularly tough.
However, the worsening of his condition stretches back 10 years to 2011 – the year Tindall married Zara.
‘I would say he’s had a really sort of tough five years, maybe even longer actually,’ he said.
‘It’s our 10-year wedding anniversary and it was that year that … through his Parkinson’s, his spine in his back is obviously curved, and then it caused problems with his discs and then he had to have a wheelchair at the wedding. He could walk some bits of it.’
Speaking about how his father lost strength after a back operation and then suffered colitis, Tindall added: ‘When you start adding those things up, they’ve made a massive change over the last 10 years, whereas before that, you know, it was a lot slower process.
‘Then you throw in lockdown and literally they’re both on the vulnerable list so they have not literally left the house in a year.’
Mr Tindall said his mum has ‘really missed companionship’ during the pandemic, as she ‘doesn’t feel now that she’s comfortable leaving my dad alone’.
The duchess, who is married to the Queen’s cousin Duke of Gloucester, acknowledged how tough Parkinsons can be on the whole family, especially primary carers.
Tindall replied: ‘Yeah, we keep telling her that she doesn’t need to be that, but she’s a very stoic, northern lady, who refuses to give her man up.
‘And we’re trying to convince her that you’re not giving up your man, you’re just allowing the frustrating parts of it that, you know, get you sort of riled up, that someone else deals with and it also gives you a life.’
The duchess replied: ‘It can be really difficult to persuade somebody like your mother that for her own sake.’
During the warm exchange, Mr Tindall, 42, also gave an insight into family life with his newborn son Lucas, born just over five weeks ago.
He told the Danish-born Duchess, 74, that the baby had been snoozing ahead of a feed.
The Duchess said of his daughters Mia, seven, and two-year-old Lena: ‘You’ve got those two little nursery helpers to do most of the work, haven’t you?’
Mr Tindall laughed: ‘It’s a fine balance, I love that they want to help, but maybe they try and help a little bit too much, and smother the baby a little bit.’
The video call took place on April 7, but its release was postponed following the Duke of Edinburgh’s death on April 9.
Mr Tindall said: ‘Thank you for everyone who is involved with any parts of Parkinson’s, it means a lot to me, especially from my heart and please keep doing it … hopefully (World Parkinson’s Day) will end one day.’
The ex-rugby player, who has long campaigned to raise awareness, has been fundraising for Cure Parkinson’s with a 750km (466-mile) bike ride.
Some 145,000 people in the UK are living with the disease, and identified as being clinically vulnerable to Covid-19, with an added risk for the majority who are over 70.
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