 | 26 May 2012 Accessibility help Text only |
|
|
| BBC Homepage | | |
| |||
| Contact Us Like this page? Send it to a friend! | | |
ProfilesYou are in: Cambridgeshire > People > Profiles > Terry Pratchett on living with Alzheimer's  Sir Terry Pratchett Terry Pratchett on living with Alzheimer'sWe speak to author, Sir Terry Pratchett, who is Patron of Cambridgeshire-based charity, The Alzheimer's Research Trust, and ask... what is it like, living with Alzheimer's and what are his hopes for the future? In December 2007, at the age of 59, best-selling, prolific fantasy writer, Terry Pratchett, was diagnosed with a rare early-onset form of the Alzheimer's called Posterior Cortical Atrophy, or PCA. Listen to Sir Terry Pratchett talking about his hopes and fearsSpeaking to Jeremy Sallis on the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Breakfast Show, Terry Pratchett talks of his hopes of finding not necessarily a cure for dementia, but at least a way of coping, and living with the condition.  He talks of his hopes that one day, the disease will be manageable and that sufferers will be able to live an active life in the same way that many people diagnosed with HIV do. Not necessarily in his lifetime, he says, but his hopes are that his children, and their children will not have to deal with the distress and debilitation of this cruel disease. Jeremy begins by asking him what he's currently involved in to promote the needs of those suffering from Alzheimers... Help playing audio/video On discovering dementia...On being diagnosed, Pratchett posted a statement on his website talking about his diagnosis - something he says explained a 'phantom stroke' he had earlier in the year.
Talking to BBC News Online, in August 2008, he said: "My fans across the world started to contact me, and in fact the website fell over and it was just getting ridiculous. So I sent out a message saying 'it's only worth asking me if you can help if you're a high-end brain specialist'. He didn't receive many replies from 'high-end specialists, but many readers sent useful contacts and told him of the latest research and theories about Alzheimer's. You can read the full interview from the BBC News Magazine website here: And watch Terry Pratchett talking on BBC News about living with dementia: Help playing audio/video
Funding research and raising awarenessNow, he is headlining, and helping to fund research campaigns into a cure for dementia - partly through his role as Patron of the Great Shelford-based Alzheimer's Research Trust. The Trust has announced recently that it has received £200,000 of donations inspired by Sir Terry’s campaigning for the charity, which took him from Discworld conventions to Downing Street. Listen to Sir Terry Pratchett talking about his hopes and fearsListen to Terry Pratchett talking to Jeremy Sallis on the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Breakfast Show: Help playing audio/video Find out moreMore information and help for those suffering from Alzheimer's, and those caring for them:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites Help playing audio/video last updated: 12/02/2009 at 09:37 Have Your SayYou are in: Cambridgeshire > People > Profiles > Terry Pratchett on living with Alzheimer's
| ||||
| | About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy |
