Dame Esther Rantzen’s daughter Emily was left bed bound and unable to read, write or even speak after being struck down by ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) as a teen. At just 14 years old, Emily’s life changed dramatically after she became ill with the long-term condition.
ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is defined as a serious, multi-system disease that impacts a person’s physical ability and quality of life. In severe cases, it can be fatal. In 2011, the 84-year-old opened up about her daughter’s diagnosis as she recalled helplessly watching her child become “slowly paralysed” as she struggled with chronic fatigue.
“It struck her down when she was 14, after an attack of glandular fever. She never fully recovered from the illness and we watched helplessly as she struggled with chronic fatigue which, like a sticky web, slowly paralysed her,” she wrote on MailOnline.
“In the end she was imprisoned – bed-bound, lying in a darkened room, unable to read, write or even to speak.”
She added: “At that point she went to hospital, where they pushed her by baby-steps, one word at a time, one more minute of light each day, until she progressed into a wheelchair, and then on to her feet.”
There is no known cause of ME, and it can affect anyone. According to the NHS, the four main symptoms of the condition include fatigue, sleep problems, problems with thinking, concentration and memory and symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activity.
There is no specific test available to diagnose the condition. Instead, a diagnosis is given based on symptoms and ruling out other causes, which can take years. There is currently no cure, but treatments can help ease and manage symptoms.
Discussing this, Esther added: “She continued to improve – slowly, year by year. But it was through management and willpower, not treatment and cure. As with many families battling an illness for which there is no known treatment, we were offered countless ‘miracle cures’.”
The broadcaster’s own health has been in the spotlight recently after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Initially, Dame Esther found a lump under her armpit after feeling tired over the Christmas period in December 2022. Sadly, just weeks later, a biopsy confirmed she had stage four cancer.
In a new interview, Dame Esther’s daughter, Rebecca Wilcox shared a heartbreaking health update. When asked about a new medication which was initially believed to help improve Dame Esther’s condition, Rebecca revealed that this was not the case. “I really wish that was true,” she said, adding: “I don’t think that’s the case anymore,” she told 5 News.
Speaking in February last year, Esther said the thought of her own death is always present in her mind as she discussed her opinions on legalising assisted dying. She told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “My own death is constantly in my mind. It would give me so much confidence if I could also know that however the illness progresses, whatever pain it causes, wherever it strikes me next, I will still have the choices of a pain free, dignified private death surrounded by the people I love.
“I’m not demanding that everybody in the world agrees with me, I’m just saying let’s debate all the issues now that we’ve got international evidence and we know the public attitude is in favour.”
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