A 40-year-old teacher
is thought to have become one of the youngest people to die from dementia.
Gareth Wilmot from
Barnsley in South Yorkshire died on Monday after a five year battle with
frontotemporal dementia, a savage and rapidly-advancing form of the disease.
He was hit with the
degenerative illness which usually affects patients between the ages of 45 and
65, when he was just 35 years old.
Frontotemporal
dementia occurs when nerve cells in the frontal lobes of the brain die.
Gareth's parents
Lesley, 66, and Graham, 65, have paid tribute to their 'showman' of a son.
His mother Lesley
said: 'Gareth was diagnosed five years ago, we were very naive at that time.
'He was originally
diagnosed with depression, which I feel the doctors thought was more common for
someone of his age.
'We took him home and
tried to pinpoint the problem. It was only as the illness progressed that alarm
bells started ringing.
Gareth Wilmot from
Barnsley in South Yorkshire died on Monday after a five year battle
'The effect on the
family was devastating, he was a completely different person.
'He used to have
three baths a night, wore lots of aftershave, he was a spotless person.
'Once it kicked in,
he struggled to wash and we used to have to stand at the door to make sure he
was having a shower. He lost all of his weight and was skin and bones.'
His father Graham
said the disease took a hold of his son.
The frontal lobes of
the brain, found behind the forehead, deal with behaviour, problem-solving,
planning and the control of emotions. An area of usually the left frontal lobe
also controls speech.
Over time, as more
and more nerve cells die, the brain tissue in the frontal and temporal lobes
shrinks.
Graham, a retired
mechanical fitter, said: 'As the illness progressed, Gareth started to lose his
speech and was unable to speak. He started to refuse food and drink.
'It is horrible to
see an old person like that, never mind your own son.
'The diagnosis is so
final, a fuse starts burning. You don't know how long that fire will burn. It
destroys you.'
Gareth was a teacher
of children with behavioral problems and lived happily with a partner prior to
his diagnosis.
His parents moved him
back into the family home when his state started to deteriorate.
Gareth, who attended
Arden School of Theatre at Manchester University, had a passion for theatre and
arts.
His mother recalled a
time he saw him in a production: 'When we went to see Gareth backstage, we
bumped into Brian Glover and Brian Blessed'.
'They said he would
go far and that my son was a star. It hurts me to say that they were wrong.'
A clear comfort to
the family was the memories that they shared with Gareth.
His father Graham
said: 'When Gareth graduated, he was the final person to be called up.
'He got a huge cheer
from the audience, everybody loved him. He was a showman.
'His friends thought
the world of him.'
Gareth was moved to
Havenfield care home for the final stages of his life and his family said they
couldn't thank the staff enough.
Lesley said: 'We have
this massive hole to fill now, a huge void to fill.
'Havenfield care home
were brilliant to us throughout.
'Gareth's brother
Matthew was there with him when he passed.
'Matthew's final
words to Gareth were 'brothers to the end.''
The family have took
part in many fundraising events with Gareth in the last five years, including
memory walks.
Some of the students
that Gareth was teaching unknowingly bumped into his mother Lesley on the walk.
They told her they
were 'walking for Mr Wilmott' and Graham said this was typical of the man that
he was in the community.
Graham said: 'People
with dementia tend to lose friends but his stuck by them.
'His funeral will be
a celebration of his life. We have invited all of his family and friends, I'm
hoping they can all fit in the venue.
'We have told people
that they can't wear black.
'I know my outfit
already, I'm going to be wearing a baseball jersey and red high top trainers.
'Gareth loved DC
comics and one of his friends is hoping to go as Wonder-woman.
'His friends were
brilliant, the parents made the harrowing decision to donate Gareth's brain and
spinal cord in the hope that they can help with future research into the
disease.
They have reached out
online to try and find families in similar situations.
The family believe
that support groups and help is out there and they want to reach out to anyone
they may be able to help or spread information about the torturous disease.
Lesley said: 'If we
help one other person or family, then that is comfort to us.
'We hope that it
leaves a lasting legacy.'
SOURCE: Charlie Moore, Mailonline
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