Former England rugby international Mike Tindall has spoken emotionally about the final weeks of his father Phil's life, describing his recent death following a long battle with Parkinson's disease as "a godsend".
Tindall announced last week that his dad, a former captain of Otley Rugby Club in West Yorkshire, had passed away at the age of 80, having been diagnosed with the disease in 2003. Earlier this year, he had issued a bleak update on his father's condition, admitting he was "not doing great" and was "a shell of what he once was" due to his illness.
Reflecting on Final Weeks
Speaking on an emotional episode of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, Tindall admitted it was "horrible" to see his father in the condition he was in. He told co-hosts Alex Payne and James Haskell that his family had been preparing for Phil's death for months, with his passing ultimately a "godsend".
"Unfortunately, my dad passed away," he said. "Not going to lie, it was a bit of a godsend. He'd been awake, I think, properly once in the last three weeks. It's been a bad three months for him, and it was horrible to see.
"They phoned us three times to say, 'You need to get up here because this could be the last day,' and yet every time I got up there he'd be sat up in the chair, unbelievably stubborn."
Hard to Watch
Tindall added: "It got worse when you couldn't communicate with him, he was trying to communicate with you but he didn't have the strength to sort of get the words out. That was when it became really frustrating and really hard to watch, because he clearly had something to say and he couldn't.
"He couldn't move his arms, he'd lost all movement by then. So it's a relief that he's free from his body now, I think. It's so easy to be selfish and not really want him to go, but he lived a great life and he didn't owe us anything.
Remembering Better Times
"It's quite nice to remember the better times when he was far more mobile. They're the ones that you remember."
Adding that his father "didn't deserve those last three months", he continued: "Anyone who voted against the euthanasia [assisted dying] thing hasn't gone through seeing your dad, who you admire so much, go through what he had to go through. It's just not fair."
Haskell also opened up on the death of his father Jonathan last year, with the trio praised for the emotional and honest discussion they had about grief and losing their parents.
"Losing a parent is an unbelievably hard one," wrote one viewer. "Thank you for sharing guys."
Another added: "Sorry for your losses James and Mike. Your tributes to your dads were really touching. However, I really enjoyed this philosophical chat."
"Brilliant topic lads," a third commented. "Thanks for your openness. Lost my dad three years ago. He was my idol."
Another viewer wrote: "Sorry for your loss Mike, I definitely agree with you when you said he's in a better place, it's a relief that he's free from his body. That's exactly how I felt and also summarised the long years of Parkinsons. I feel for you sir."
