That really is so sad… the lovely vibrant Fiona..😢

Martin has started grieving now but his wife, Fiona is still alive - bloody heartbreaking x

My mum had it for twenty years. It destroys the Carer first. I’m so sorry Martin

I'm a mental health nurse. I have worked on a dementia ward for 8 years. It is a brutal environment to be in. The patients are there because they, their family and/or carers have reached absolute crisis point. They are depressed, anxious, agitated, some of them highly aggressive. Some of them go weeks without eating because they are so restless. Alzheimer's, vascular dementia, mixed dementia, lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia. Some in their early 60's, some in their 90's. Meeting families visiting their loved ones on the ward still crushes me after 8 years, I've never 'got used to it.' It's absolutely heartbreaking seeing them and their families suffering. Seeing a patient just sleep for a couple of hours, or manage half of a meal, or recognise their family, even for the briefest moment, is considered a small 'win' in my job. Truly an awful illness, and hearing the statistics about the disparity between money spent on research in dementia compared with other disease/illness is upsetting. It is affecting younger people now. More needs to be done 😢

My daughter is starting a doctorate in Alzheimer’s research in October. I think there are 6 people starting together. I hope they change the world.

He is very articulate. That Fiona is taking the same medication as her parents speaks volumes about the lack of progress. How very very difficult for families dealing with this.

Sorry to hear this. She was such a wonderful presenter with a vivacious character ❤

Alzheimer's terrifies me, such a cruel disease

My dad got early onset Alzheimer's in his early 50s. He was 55 when diagnosed 66 when he died. I was only 15 when he was diagnosed and 26 when I organised his funeral I was one of the first people he forgot who I was. He never got to walk me down the aisle and never met his granddaughters. It's a terrible disease the body is there the person is gone.

I have cancer. I totally agree. I’m getting to spend time with my loved ones and really enjoy every minute of it. Great segment, needs more research. Thank you 💙

I am so heartbroken  to hear this, I loved watching Fiona she was one of my favourite  people on TV. I lost my darling sister 2 years ago  she had this awful disease, and to watch her mind fade and the sparkle leave her eyes was heartbreaking. I know anyone reading what I say now will think I am cruel, but my sister died from a stroke, which took her very quickly  and shockingly from our lives before she went further into the abyss  of alzhimers and lived a long suffering demise. God bless you, Martin, and your boys who are dealing with this disease. It doesn't  just affect the patient it affects the whole family. You are all in my prayers.

I’m a carer, we must do more to help people experiencing this devastating disease.   It’s heartbreaking, I see it everyday & families are left to fend for themselves with no idea where to turn.

Brutally sad. Such an honest account of the realities of partners living with Alzheimer's. I remember Fiona talking about her mum with the same condition. I'm glad Fiona has you Martin.

I get this. My mum had a strong family history of Alzheimers and was terrified of getting it. She died of cancer at 79. As horrible and distressing as that was, I was relieved that she had that and not Alzheimers.

What an awful situation for the pair of them. 💚

God bless you for looking after her this is a terrible disease not enough research at all xxx

I am watching this a day after finding out that I have a rare form of T-cell Lymphoma and I am going to die. I have two adult children, two grandchildren and a loving husband, I am 56 years old. I am so thankful that my family will not have to deal with the agony of watching me slowly die away with early onset dementia, what an unforgiving journey.  I am so sorry that more is not being done to find hope for sufferers and their families, it is a criminal world where such a killer does not warrant more attention and funds. Much love to the family, you are her voice now, you’re doing great.

❤so very sad, heartbreaking. My husband died of cancer four years ago at 74. He was diagnosed with cancer 8 years prior to his death. In those 8 years we continued and had the closest most wonderful times. We walked we talked we loved, right to the very end. I am almost 80 and my friends husband died at the end with Alzheimer’s  the hardest cruellest of diseases. Alan knew me until the very end and I will always be grateful for that. So sad for Fiona the nicest of people.

My dad had Alzheimer’s and mum had vascular dementia. I’ve just started reading Fiona’s book and I couldn’t sleep as I kept remembering my lovely parents .Absolutely heartbreaking . My family grieved before they passed away 😢😢😢

My dad died of cancer . It was short and horrible . He was in severe pain and wasted away to nothing . He was 87 years old and still as sharp as a tack . He was reading Day of the Triffids , weeks before he died . My mother died a year later . She had Alzheimers . Physically as strong as an ox she didn’t recognise my dad when he died. She could still talk and do word puzzles she could recognise me sometimes . Over the year that we looked after her , she had a few falls . Each fall resulted in a further degeneration . In the last few months of her life , almost a year after my dad passed away . She could only grunt and I no longer knew what she could remember or recognise . She died 11 months after my Dad , aged 88 . But in all honesty , I think my mum died before my dad .