Julie Goodyear’s husband has shared his heartbreak as he watches the Coronation Street star ‘slowly fade away’ amid her devastating battle with dementia.
The legend, famous for playing Rovers Return’s no-nonsense landlady Bet Lynch in the much-loved ITV soap, revealed her diagnosis last June. Now, her husband, Scott Brand has spoken about how difficult it is to see the 81-year-old’s health decline.
Julie’s trademark leopard print outfits, blonde hair and colourful lipsticks live on as a heartwarming memory of the past as the actress deteriorates. Scott told the Mirror: “I miss the fun-loving wife that Julie had always been the larger-than-life personality that brightened up everywhere she went, and the smile that lit up every room.
“All of this is now slowly fading away and it’s extremely painful for me to watch this deterioration.”
Read more: Sheffield bans adverts for unhealthy food, pollution and alcohol in city
“Julie now struggles recognising people and everyone she meets is called ‘Scott’. He added: “Julie has always been extremely glamorous, going nowhere without her makeup. But now the lipsticks and makeup go unworn, and clothes are no longer of interest, especially the leopard print.”
The couple met when Scott delivered plaster to Julie’s home near Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2007. Julie joined Corrie in 1966 and became one of the most loved characters until she left in November 2003, reports the Manchester Evening News.
She was given an MBE for her work in drama in 1996. Scott, who is 55, spoke about how life has changed since his wife Julie started using a wheelchair.
He said: “One of the biggest things is our holidays. Julie loved going away and would always look forward to our adventures together, but this has now stopped. We no longer go away, and I can no longer go away either as I would never leave Julie.”
“I’m now aware that if there was an emergency, and I needed to drive, I wouldn’t be able to so alcohol is off limits.”
(Image: Mirrorpix)
He shared how hard it was to accept Julie’s diagnosis and the need for help. “At the beginning I refused to accept any support, thinking I could cope as we have always been quite private people,” he said.
“This, in reality, didn’t last for long and I soon realised I needed to ask for help as I couldn’t do it by myself. I wasn’t coping and needed to seek support. Caring for Julie is my priority, but my health was being affected and as a lone carer I felt it was killing me. Julie had always dealt with the finances but now she cannot even recognise the value of money.”
“I was suddenly thrown into having to sort out all the household affairs, something Julie had always managed with ease and perfection. It was like being thrown into a new world of having to do everything by myself. I would advise anyone going through this journey to accept help straight away. “.
The couple are now supporting a new TV advert from the Alzheimer’s Society, saying that the charity has been a ‘lifeline’ since Julie became ill. The advert, named ‘The Long Goodbye’, is narrated by actor Colin Firth and shows how dementia causes people to ‘die again and again and again’.
Scott shared: “Not being able to spontaneously go out as husband and wife, holding hands as we stroll along, going for meals together and going shopping all these losses for me symbolise the Long Goodbye.”
“Since getting Julie’s diagnosis, the help from our Dementia Adviser Julie Mann has been amazing I couldn’t have managed without it. She has helped me to understand what dementia is and supported us in applying for financial entitlements.”
“She has encouraged me to get our affairs in order and put plans in place for the future. She has listened when I didn’t know what to do and has guided me on getting the right care package in place that suits both of our needs.”
“Without this support I really don’t know how I would have coped it was a lifeline when we both needed one and continues to be so. She has helped to take such a burden off our shoulders.”
(Image: Thousand Word Media/Antony Thompson)
Dementia is the biggest cause of death in the UK, with over a million people living with the illness. Kate Lee, the boss of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This campaign seeks to tell the unvarnished truth about the devastation caused by dementia and it is very much informed by people affected by the condition. The loved ones of people with dementia often describe it as a ‘living grief’ as, bit by bit, the disease’s relentless progression causes part of the person to die…again and again and again. But there is hope.”
Alzheimer’s Society is always there to help people as they face the sad truth of saying goodbye over a long time. “.”
“Dementia is not the priority it should be” says the boss of Alzheimer’s Society. Even though famous people like Julie Goodyear and Fiona Phillips have been diagnosed with dementia, it hasn’t made a big difference.
A recent survey showed that nearly 80 percent of people didn’t know that one in three people born in the UK today will get dementia.
Even though it affects over 900,000 people in the UK, dementia isn’t treated as important as it should be. This is clear from how hard it is to get a diagnosis, which is the first step towards getting help.
Get all the latest big and breaking Yorkshire news straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking here.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
YorkshireLive
