A veteran presenter known for his work on Newsnight, Good Morning Britain and Panorama, has revealed he is living with Parkinson’s disease. 78-year-old John Stapleton, was diagnosed with the progressive brain condition just two months ago after his son, Nick Stapleton, noticed some concerning symptoms.
Speaking on BBC Morning Live, Nick said: “He’s a talented journalist, known for being sharp-minded and engaged. But over the last year, I started to notice that dad was seeming a bit more anxious, he wasn’t walking so confidently and he had this tremor in his hand.”
He added: “So, two months ago, he went for some tests and unfortunately, a few days later, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. It was deeply troubling news.”
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The NHS states that Parkinson’s occurs when parts of the brain become ‘progressively damaged over many years’. Main symptoms include involuntary shaking or tremors, memory problems, balance issues and speech difficulties.
John finds the latter particularly ‘frustrating’, often having to repeat himself during conversations. Joining the conversation, he said: “It’s very frustrating sometimes particularly when people are constantly saying to you ‘sorry what did you say? ‘, and you have to repeat yourself time and time again. I’m fairly pragmatic about the prospect of this getting worse I try to remain positive because what’s the point of not being?”
While the diagnosis has been a blow for both John and his family, Nick revealed it wasn’t entirely unexpected. John’s mother, who was also Nick’s grandmother, suffered from Parkinson’s before her passing, reports Lancs Live.
“I witnessed my mother’s decline from this lively, brilliant, outgoing lady, to a lady who was fairly fragile. One of the practical problems she faced initially was an inability to do things like open a can of beans or peel a potato. And believe it or not, I’m having the same problems to some extent myself right now,” said Oldham-born John. He added: “In the end, you know, she was sort of locked in her own house. So yeah, her lifestyle changed dramatically and I suppose mine will too.”
Now, two decades later, Nick feels as if their family is witnessing history repeat itself, as he grapples with the reality that his father’s Parkinson’s may worsen over time.
When discussing this, John insisted that he wants to maintain his independence for as long as possible but would ‘reluctantly’ consider care if the situation deteriorated. Before that, he would also contemplate using technology to assist with practical aspects of life, such as a stair lift.
John concluded: “I think Nick’s approach was extremely helpful because he’s not trying to push me into anything, we don’t have to rush this, we do need to think about it. Let’s fact it, that’s the reality, my Parkinson’s is not going to go away.”
If you’re worried that you or someone close to you might have Parkinson’s disease, the NHS advises getting in touch with a GP, who can then refer you to a specialist for more tests. Although it usually affects people over 50, some may start showing signs before they reach 40.
The full list of symptoms according to the NHS is as follows:
- Balance issues
- Loss of smell
- Nerve pain
- Urinary issues and/or constipation
- Erectile difficulties among men
- Sexual arousal and orgasm difficulties
- Dizziness and fainting
- Excessive sweating
- Swallowing problems
- Excessive saliva production
- Sleeping issues
- Anxiety and depression
- Memory difficulties
- Dementia symptoms