Motor racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart said curing dementia deserves the same “urgency” is put into designing better Formula One cars.
The Flying Scot spoke out as he opened up about his wife’s battle with the disease during a visit to the north-east to champion the charity he formed after her diagnosis.
He revealed his heartbreak over her worsening condition which has led him to dedicate his life towards funding research into a cure.
Yesterday, the 78-year-old attended a “ladies lunch” organised by the John Clark Motor Group at Aberdeen’s Marcliffe Hotel to promote his Race Against Dementia campaign.
Before taking to the stage, Sir Jackie laid bare the toll that the disease has taken on his partner of 55 years.
He said: “My wife was diagnosed about four years ago, and unfortunately I have watched her fade to the point where she now needs care from four nurses – two at a time – for 24 hours every day.
“The condition has affected her ability to get about on her own, she can’t get out of bed so we need people around her all the time.
“And it has caused these extreme mood changes, which can sometimes even go to mild violence.
“This is a very bad illness for a family to deal with, and it leads to the point where she won’t be able to look after herself in the end.”
Lady Helen, 75, was hailed as the “original pit lane girl” as she would time Sir Jackie’s laps “to the millisecond” as he carved out his remarkable sporting career.
Sir Jackie, who is from Dumbartonshire, said his wife’s “razor sharp mind” was what made him fall for her.
He formed Race Against Dementia 18 months ago as a response to her deteriorating health.
More than 800,000 people in the UK have dementia, and caring for patients costs the nation more than caring for people with cancer and heart conditions combined.
Lady Helen’s form of the disease affects cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which regulate personality, emotions and behaviour.
The former Formula One champion says his “main focus in life” is now pioneering medications that will slow the progress of dementia, or cure it entirely.
Sir Jackie injected £1million of his own money into the charity to get it off the ground.
And his search for the best medics and facilities has taken him to China, America and Australia in recent months.
He said: “The figures show that there can be no delay in tackling this illness.
“Because of my motor racing success, I can afford carers but very few others can and that will become a worsening problem with an ageing population.
“The same urgency should be applied to finding a cure for dementia as is to new technology in Formula One factories or pit garages.
“I am particularly looking towards young professors, because the current generation have been unsuccessfully trying to find a cure for too long.
“We need to break new ground, and develop new ways of thinking.”
The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and Harvard University have both been earmarked to carry out the hoped-for research.
On Wednesday, John Clark Motor Group staged a fundraising evening in Edinburgh which raised about £50,000 for the charity.
Victoria Barry, the daughter of dealership impresario Mr Clark, organised both gatherings, and said she hoped that the north-east bash – which welcomed 182 guests – would raise further thousands.
Sir Jackie won 27 races out of 99 starts, was crowned world champion three times and was knighted in 2001.
In the 1960s the Scottish great became an advocate for safety in the sport, pressing for barriers to be created around tracks, a stronger medical presence and mandatory full-face helmets for drivers.
However, he said yesterday: “Motor racing was exciting, but this is the biggest challenge I have ever had in my life.”
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