Formula 1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart has revealed that his wife, Lady Helen, recently forgot who he was for the first time in their more than 60-year marriage. The 85-year-old told the BBC that his wife, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2014, asked, 'Where's Jackie?' just a few weeks ago while she was getting up for dinner. He described the moment as giving him 'a bad feeling'.
Lady Helen, 84, is now living in 'a new world', according to Sir Jackie, and is no longer able to walk on her own due to her condition. The three-time world champion also spoke about the effects of 'sundowning', a common symptom of dementia that causes increased agitation in the late afternoon. He explained that Helen sometimes hits him or the nurses and uses language she has never used before, particularly after 5pm.
Sir Jackie founded the Race Against Dementia charity in response to his wife's diagnosis, and through it, he is funding a new trial at the University of Cambridge aimed at detecting signs of the disease years before symptoms appear. He has also created a fully accessible home for Lady Helen in Switzerland, with no steps or obstacles, and employs specialist nurses and neurosurgeons to care for her.
The F1 legend expressed his distress at visiting care homes for dementia patients, saying he often leaves in tears because 'people are completely lost'. He described the statistic that one in three people will develop dementia at some point in their lives as 'a disaster'. Sir Jackie said he desperately hopes to see a cure discovered within his lifetime, comparing his desire to his ambition to become world champion.
Jackie and Helen Stewart have been married since 1962. Sir Jackie continues to raise awareness about dementia through his charity and public appearances, emphasising the need for greater research and support.
