Formula 1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart has opened up about his wife Lady Helen's dementia battle, revealing she recently forgot who he was for the first time. The three-time world champion, 85, said his wife of more than 60 years asked 'Where's Jackie?' just weeks ago, despite him sitting nearby.
Lady Helen, 84, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2014, which inspired Sir Jackie to found his Race Against Dementia charity. The condition has progressively worsened, and she now requires round-the-clock care and can no longer walk unaided.
Sir Jackie described his wife's mind as being in 'a new world' and spoke about the challenges of 'sundowning', a common symptom where sufferers become agitated later in the day. He said Helen sometimes hits him or nurses and uses language she never would have before, typically after 5pm.
The couple, married since 1962, have a fully accessible home in Switzerland with no steps or obstacles. Sir Jackie also funds specialist nurses and neurosurgeons for her care. He expressed deep emotion when visiting residential care homes, saying he 'leaves in tears' seeing people 'completely lost'.
Through his charity, Sir Jackie is funding a trial at the University of Cambridge aimed at spotting early signs of dementia years before symptoms appear. He compared his drive for a cure to his ambition to become world champion, saying it is 'terribly important'.
