Billy Connolly’s wife reveals he experienced ‘significant tumbles’ due to problems with his balance.
"I would jest, 'I plummeted from my bed, yet providentially, visage broke my descent...'"
In the wake of Parkinson’s disease, celebrated humorist Sir Billy Connolly has grappled with a series of “grave tumbles” owing to the erosion of his equilibrium, divulged his devoted spouse, Pamela Stephenson.
Stephenson articulated that her partner’s struggle with balance constituted the disease’s most pronounced manifestation since his diagnosis a decade hence.
The octogenarian Sir Billy, musing over this impediment, remarked how it has “incrementally augmented the catalogue of impediments I face.”
In a candid exchange with The Guardian, the Scottish raconteur expounded, “Of late, I’ve discerned a regression in my sense of balance.”
“This was not heretofore an issue of considerable magnitude, but throughout the past annum, it has become a lingering concern.
“Perchance, I harboured the notion it would dissipate, for a plethora of symptoms have manifested, then subsequently receded.”
In 2013, Sir Billy received the sombre diagnosis of Parkinson’s, coincidentally coinciding with the revelation of prostate cancer, an ailment he would eventually overcome.
Five years thereafter, he withdrew from live performances.
Parkinson’s, trailing only Alzheimer’s in prevalence amongst neurodegenerative disorders, precipitates a protracted degeneration of cerebral faculties.
Stephenson, the stalwart companion and caregiver, relayed how the waning of equilibrium constituted the most pivotal repercussion of the ailment, “most notably because, regrettably, it precipitated a sequence of grave mishaps…”
Sir Billy, responding with his signature wit, reflected, “It’s curious, that tumble wherein I came to rest upon my mandible, evoked a recollection of a routine I once regaled the audience with.
“I would jest, ‘I plummeted from my bed, yet providentially, visage broke my descent…'”
He confessed to feeling besieged by the “merciless ailment,” sensing it stealthily encroach upon his autonomy, impeding him from the pursuits he once relished.
The duo also delved into the metamorphosis their relationship underwent post-diagnosis, with Sir Billy disclosing that now it is Stephenson who attends to his morning attire, while he relies on external conveyance, the wheel relinquished, as driving is no longer within his ambit.
Sir Billy, renowned for his penchant for voyages and the creation of numerous travel documentaries throughout his illustrious career, conveyed to the periodical his profound affection for homestay amid the diverse Covid-19 lockdowns, deeming it a revelation of significant magnitude in his life.
“I was enjoined to remain within my abode, and I acquiesced with ardour. My canine companions, too, harboured a fondness for this altered routine. Serendipitously, our residence graces a waterway, permitting us to embark upon promenades within a paradisiacal locale,” he articulated.
The duo presently abides in the Florida Keys, an assemblage of isles ensconced 120 miles distant from the meridional periphery of the US state of Florida.
In the annum 2017, Sir Billy received the accolade of knighthood in recognition of his contributions to the realms of amusement and benevolence, subsequent to a vocation that has extended over five decades.
