Why Home and Away star Jessica Redmayne doesn’t want dementia question answered
If you knew what you were a candidate for a genetic condition with no cure, would you want to know? It’s a question Jessica Redmayne was forced to ponder when her mum passed.
Dementia
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It is a brutal prospect to be faced with – would you want to know if you carried the gene that causes dementia?
For Home and Away actor Jessica Redmayne, the answer is a very clear no.
“It is a scary thing to think about,” Redmayne.
“Because there is no cure, there would be no point in me knowing. You would hate to know that you had an expiry date if you were told that you were going to get sick in 10 years and that is it.
“I would just rather live not knowing and continue to live my life, because it would be a bit terrifying.”
Redmayne’s mother, Tina, died with early onset dementia in 2023, nine years after her diagnosis. Her mum was 70 when she died and had been showing signs of dementia from her mid-50s.
Redmayne, 33, was tested several years ago as part of research at the Royal Melbourne Hospital given the “strong possibility” she carried the gene.
“There is reason to believe that if you do develop dementia prior to 72, it is more likely to be inherited,” the actor said.
“Some people might like to know so they can do certain things with their life but I don’t think I would change anything. I’d keep striving for the goals in my life and keep doing probably exactly what I am doing.”
Redmayne, who plays Harper Matheson on the TV soap, is an ambassador for Dementia Australia.
On Sunday, she will take part in a Memory Walk & Jog event at Cathy Freeman Park at Sydney Olympic Park to raise funds and awareness for the illness.
“I’ve always felt that if I was fortunate enough to have a platform where I had a voice, then I would definitely, it was my duty to use it,” she explained.
“It feels like it would be a waste if I didn’t use the voice that fortunately my career gives me. It definitely allows me the space to be an advocate for it.”
With her personal story of the illness, there is a strong message Redmayne wants people to hear.
“It is not just an elderly disease. It is always misconceived as only elderly people get it.
“People would think that she (her mum) was my grandma because of how quickly she declined. This can happen to younger people, it happens to people in their 30s or even younger. It can happen to the best of us at any point of our life.”
— If this article raises any queries or concerns, contact the National Dementia Hotline: 1800100500.
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