Entertainment
Mike Tindall reunites with his father who has Parkinson’s for first time this year in heartwarming scenes
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BBC Breakfast aired heartwarming scenes this morning as Mike Tindall reunited with his dad, who has Parkinson’s disease, for the first time this year for his 75th birthday.
Philip Tindall was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 2003, with his son saying he now struggles to pick up a pen.
The pair had been kept apart for six months as the coronavirus pandemic continues, but today they were finally able to see each other in person and Mike marked the occasion by turning up with birthday cake in tow.
‘I’ve brought you a very, very chocolaty cake,’ he said as he reached out his arms for a hug. ‘I know that diet is your key.’
Noticing Philip was a bit light on his feet, he asked: ‘Are you wobbly today? Are you feeling a bit wobbly?’
‘Yes, I’m wobbly today,’ his dad responded before going on to say that he’d been out for some exercise with his wife, Mike’s mum.
Parkinson’s Disease is a degenerative neurological condition which affects motor skills, and sometimes cognitive abilities and/or emotions.
The disease is caused by a reduction in the brain’s production of dopamine which happens as a result of there being a loss of nerve cells in the brain called the substantia nigra.
It’s not yet known what causes this loss of nerve cells, however we do know that dopamine is vital when it comes to regulating the body’s movement.
Speaking about his dad’s battle in an interview with Sally Nugent, Mike said: ‘Over the last 10 years, there’s been loads of other problems that have come across because of it.’
He added that his wife Zara, the daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, has been ‘brilliant’ in supporting him throughout.
‘She sort of gets it and she sort of keeps me on my toes as well a little bit with it and where we are in terms of finding out more about new drugs that are coming out and new trials and everything else,’ he said.
BBC Breakfast airs daily at 6am on BBC One.
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