After it was revealed that billionaire Wolfgang Porsche has reportedly left his wife who is in ill-health, Woman asks…
WORDS: FIONA FORD. PHOTOS: GETTY, EXPRESS.CO.UK, MIRROR.CO.UK, DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
The vows and commitments we make when we marry are intended to last a lifetime. In sickness and in health. For better or for worse. But should there be exceptions to these promises?
Billionaire Porsche executive Wolfgang Porsche, 79, came under fire recently when he announced his intention to divorce his wife Claudia, 74, who has a ‘dementia-like illness’. The news caused outrage, with many arguing Wolfgang’s actions were heartless. However, some expressed sympathy, arguing that life with a dementia sufferer is tougher than people realise.
Dementia is an umbrella term for about 200 neurological disorders, with symptoms including memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking and changes in behaviour. Sadly, sufferers usually get worse over time, and the pain of watching a loved one suffer can be traumatic. With recent studies revealing that the number of people living with the disease is expected to hit the 139 million mark globally by 2050, is it really wrong to divorce someone who is seriously ill? One woman shares her experiences with us…
‘DESPITE IT ALL, HE WAS STILL THE MAN I MARRIED’
Elizabeth Fitzsimons, 68, lives in Rochdale and is a retired teacher.
Like most people reading the news about Wolfgang Porsche, I was shocked. How could someone possibly leave a partner who has failing health? But I can relate to his story – I know exactly how he feels, because I too have had a partner with dementia, and caring for him was anything but easy.
Eric and I met in 1978. Both PE teachers at a school in Oldham, I was 23, he was 29. In 1992 when our marriages to other people failed, we realised we were soulmates and married in a register office with just two witnesses in December 1994.
Eric was my world.
Gorgeous, with long, curly dark hair, he looked like Kevin Keegan! As well as being a PE teacher, he was also a professional rugby player for Oldham Rugby League. We both had kids from our first marriages and loved spending time with them, as well as the usual holidays to Spain and France. ‘My life’s lovely,’ he’d say. We were so grateful we’d got a second chance at love.
But as the years passed Eric became more forgetful, getting names and dates so wrong that in November 2010, aged 62, he was diagnosed with Lewy Bo
