06 July 2023 , 06:46
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Kate Garraway 'felt emotional' as she opened up about the final conversation she had with journalist Fiona Phillips.
TV presenter Fiona recently revealed she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.
The 62-year-old Mirror columnist was told she had the illness a year ago after suffering months of brain fog and anxiety. Fiona has been undergoing trials for a revolutionary new drug which scientists hope could slow or even reverse the illness for millions of sufferers in the years to come.
Following the announcement, Kate reflected on the final conversation she had with Fiona - which focused on her husband Derek Draper.
Derek's life changed after he contracted Covid-19 at the start of lockdown and has been under constant care ever since.
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Kate recalled her last conversation with FionaSpeaking on Thursday's Good Morning Britain, Kate said: "The last conversation I had with her, which was only a few weeks ago, what she was doing was talking to me about Derek – full of love for Derek, very close to Derek – and thinking about me dealing with Derek.
"Of course, I now think that she must have had in her mind that she would come to a place where Martin and her sons were going to be taking care of her."
She added: "It makes me feel emotional thinking about [how] that must have been going through her mind and still is."
Earlier this week, Fiona announced she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a year ago.
She said the disease 'ravage' her family and has 'come for her'.
Speaking to the Mirror, she said: "And all over the country there are people of all different ages whose lives are being affected by it - it’s heartbreaking. I just hope I can help find a cure which might make things better for others in the future."
Fiona was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year (S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The disease has also 'ravaged' her family (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)She feared being diagnosed with the disease for a long time and was devasted when the doctor gave her the confirmation.
“It’s something I might have thought I’d get at 80”, she explained.
"But I was still only 61 years old. I felt more angry than anything else because this disease has already impacted my life in so many ways;my poor mum was crippled with it, then my dad, my grandparents, my uncle. It just keeps coming back for us."
Fiona also revealed she was scammed on the telephone for thousands of pounds - which was taken from her bank account.
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Thankfully, the bank refunded the money but it was another poignant alert of Fiona’s increased vulnerability.
"I am very positive about the trials - but I have to be", said Fiona.