I watched my sister DISAPPEAR
WOMAN - UK|May 08, 2023
Gerri Gallagher still lives with the pain of losing her sister Constance to a cruel and formidable disease
I watched my sister DISAPPEAR

Back in February, the news that Bruce Willis had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) hit me hard. Not because I'm a huge Die Hard fan, but because I know far too much about FTD, and my heart breaks for the 68-year-old Hollywood actor and his family. Last April, my sister Constance lost her eight-year battle with one of the FTD diseases. She was 58 years old.

Six years ago Constance was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a form of FTD. It's a rare neurodegenerative disease that begins as a subtle language disorder and progresses to a near-total inability to speak, read, write or understand what is heard. What causes PPA is unclear, but it attacks the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain that control personality, behaviour and speech. It's always fatal.

We Gallaghers were a formidable brood seven siblings from American-Irish Catholic parents. Our childhoods were spent on a 25-acre estate that was 60 miles north-west of Manhattan, with horses, dogs, cats and chickens. I was seven when Constance was born. Finally, I had the sister I'd longed for, rather than a fourth brother (although, in time, I was blessed with another brother and sister). I dressed her up; I spoilt her; I protected her.

When I moved to the UK after my wedding in 1986, that ev no one cried more than Constance. Between my quarterly visits to the States we spoke regularly and stayed close, regardless of the distance. She often talked of her longing to live my life to be married and have a career as a magazine editor. I reassured her that everything would fall into place in time, and she would be happy. I remember glibly saying, 'Good things come to those who wait.' How wrong I was.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 08, 2023-Ausgabe von WOMAN - UK.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 08, 2023-Ausgabe von WOMAN - UK.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS WOMAN - UKAlle anzeigen
TV & REVIEWS
WOMAN - UK

TV & REVIEWS

Our pick of what to watch this week, plus the best podcasts and new books...

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
Beryl's BOUTIQUE
WOMAN - UK

Beryl's BOUTIQUE

Her heart had been closed for business, but was it time to open up?

time-read
7 Minuten  |
November 25, 2024
Finally I'm a size 10 JUST LIKE MY TWIN!
WOMAN - UK

Finally I'm a size 10 JUST LIKE MY TWIN!

Eve Little and her twin sister Hayley supported each other through a life-changing journey

time-read
5 Minuten  |
November 25, 2024
Stop bad breath embarrassing you
WOMAN - UK

Stop bad breath embarrassing you

Party season means you could be getting 'up close and personal' with your nearest and dearest, so don't let poor oral health hold back your fun...

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 25, 2024
Get moving to beat that low mood
WOMAN - UK

Get moving to beat that low mood

Look, I know it's November. The days are shorter (like our patience) and darker (like, sometimes, our mood) and moving our body gets pushed further down the must-do list. We hunker down and become insular.

time-read
1 min  |
November 25, 2024
Married to a MONSTER
WOMAN - UK

Married to a MONSTER

Samantha Treanor, 33, thought she'd never escape her violent partner

time-read
5 Minuten  |
November 25, 2024
MORE BAD NEWS FOR MEGHAN...
WOMAN - UK

MORE BAD NEWS FOR MEGHAN...

Hot on the heels of stories in the US press about the Sussexes being extremely difficult to work for, comes another body blow.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
November 25, 2024
ANXIETY is part of who I am'
WOMAN - UK

ANXIETY is part of who I am'

TV cook Nadiya Hussain on ageing, her career goals and pushing boundaries

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 25, 2024
SEPARATE LIVES
WOMAN - UK

SEPARATE LIVES

Has the shine come off their fairy tale, questions royal biographer Duncan Larcombe

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 25, 2024
NEVER too late
WOMAN - UK

NEVER too late

Catriona had regrets about the past - but perhaps it was time to embrace her future

time-read
7 Minuten  |
November 18, 2024