At the Unicorn Theatre this week from Wednesday 19th – Saturday 22nd November there is a new play by an Abingdon author, Stephen Rees, called The Wrong Goodbye.
It is the story of a man suffering early onset dementia, with his brother giving up his job to try to care for him. The play is put on by the Abingdon Drama Club.
When I see the headlines on the perspex newspaper stands nowadays, I am struck by how often there is a front page headline about a new cure or way to prevent Alzheimers. Alzheimers is the scariest condition facing people in later life. It can mean the loss of independence, dignity and a devastating impact on loved ones.
A thought provoking and moving play, well produced and performed. A good evening’s entertainment. Well done Abingdon Drama Club
A friend of mine has been working in medical research into Alzheimer’s syndrome for thirty years. He used to chair the Alzheimer Society’s scientific panel. He reckons that phase 1 (dealing with the symptoms) is nearing completion; phase 2 (discovering the causes) will take about 10-15 years; phase 3 (prevention) is beyond that.
Thank God for people like him (across the globe) who give their working lives to this kind of research. As increasing numbers live for longer (well into our eighties and beyond), I imagine that we will be facing further long-term physical and neurological conditions that challenge our well-being.
Without the researchers, the outlook would be really grim.