Ruthie Henshall ‘furious and devastated’ as dementia-sufferer mother is yet to have a COVID jab

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‘This is unbearable!’ I’m A Celeb’s Ruthie Henshall is left ‘furious and devastated’ to learn her dementia-sufferer mother is yet to have a COVID jab despite 13 deaths in her care home

  • West End star Ruthie, 53, took to Instagram and Twitter to share two snaps of her mother, Gloria, who suffers from dementia and is in her 80s
  • She wrote, alongside the photos: ‘I am furious and devastated. My mother has dementia. The first picture is my mother in the home she is in just before 1st lockdown’
  • She went on: ‘The second is my mother after 4 months of being confined to her room because COVID was killing residents in the home. 13 died’
  • She tagged the UK government in the social media post demanding to know ‘what are you playing at?’ 
  • Ruthie took part on 2020’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in November

By Andrew Bullock For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Ruthie Henshall has slammed the government after learning her mother has yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, despite being in the highest-risk group.

The West End star, 53, who took part on 2020’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, took to Instagram and Twitter to share two snaps of her mum, Gloria, who suffers from dementia.

In one, Gloria, who is in her 80s, was beaming happily. The second saw her, still smiling, but looking noticeably less healthy.

‘Furious and devastated!’ Ruthie Henshall has slammed the government after learning her mother has yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, despite being in the highest-risk group

Ruthie explained that the first image portrayed her mother prior to lockdown, with the second one taken of her after four months of isolation in her room at the care home, after 13 of her fellow residents died from COVID-19.

She wrote: ‘I am furious and devastated. My mother has dementia. The first picture is my mother in the home she is in just before 1st lockdown.

‘The second is my mother after 4 months of being confined to her room because COVID was killing residents in the home. 13 died.

‘When my mother went into the lockdown she was walking and talking. She now can do neither. I am not allowed to see her. Only 1 member from each family can go, the same one each time. 

Worrying: The West End star, 53, took to Instagram and Twitter to share two snaps of her mum, Gloria, who suffers from dementia. In one, Gloria, who is in her 80s, was beaming happily. The second saw her, still smiling, but looking noticeably less healthy [the latter is pictured]

Worrying: The West End star, 53, took to Instagram and Twitter to share two snaps of her mum, Gloria, who suffers from dementia. In one, Gloria, who is in her 80s, was beaming happily. The second saw her, still smiling, but looking noticeably less healthy [the latter is pictured]

'Simply unbearable!' Ruthie explained that the first image portrayed her mother prior to lockdown, with the second one taken of her after four months of isolation in her room at the care home, after 13 of her fellow residents died from COVID-19

‘Simply unbearable!’ Ruthie explained that the first image portrayed her mother prior to lockdown, with the second one taken of her after four months of isolation in her room at the care home, after 13 of her fellow residents died from COVID-19

‘You wanna know why I’m so angry? She hasn’t even had the vaccine yet! Neither have the brilliant tireless carers. I cried today when I found out this!’

Tagging the UK government on Twitter, Ruthie went on: ‘What are you playing at? You said care homes were a priority!

‘I haven’t seen my mother in months and I have no idea if she will even know who I am when I do. Sort this out! It is unbearable. Simply unbearable!’ [sic]

Pre-lockdown: Gloria is pictured prior to spending four months in isolation in her care home room

Pre-lockdown: Gloria is pictured prior to spending four months in isolation in her care home room

Ruthie spoke about Gloria’s diagnosis in October last year.

How long does the Pfizer vaccine take to give immunity?

 It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. 

This means it is possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.

Regulators said there was evidence of ‘partial immunity’ just seven days after the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. 

But they insisted the best immunity comes seven days after the second dose, which is given three weeks after the first.

It remains a mystery as to how long immunity against Covid lasts for, with top scientists warning that people may need to be vaccinated against the disease every winter, like the flu. 

Speaking to the East Anglia Daily Times, she said: ‘Dad is 87. Normally you would never know it but there are days when I see him and he looks exhausted just looking after Mum. She gets up at all times of the night and of course Dad can’t let her wander off by herself and so has to get up as well and that means he’s never getting a full night’s sleep. So I am really pleased to be close, so I can at least help out – give him a bit of respite.’

She said that the diagnosis has underlined what a cruel condition dementia is. ‘Mum has always been very active. She’s always kept herself fit. She’s bright and intelligent. Been an inspirational teacher all her life and then suddenly, out of nowhere, comes this awful disease. It’s hard to reconcile. Life seems so unfair at times.

‘It seems a really random condition as well. It’s hard to make sense of it. There are times when her long-term memory seems absolutely razor sharp but she can’t remember what you said to her five minutes ago or what she did yesterday. It’s such a cruel disease.’

Whatever the trials and tribulations of daily life Ruthie still has the desire to perform and loves the opportunity to stage one-off concerts like the one this weekend.

‘It’s a wonderful opportunity to really connect with an audience to revisit some favourite songs from the past – I’m very proud of my career Cats, Les Mis, Crazy For You, Oliver, Chicago, Miss Saigon – and to sing a few new songs. I have a lovely band which I love working with. Kerry Ellis, another Suffolk musical star, is our guest and we will be singing some duets and we also have the guys who played Morecambe and Wise in the West End coming along to do their stuff. They are hilarious and without doing an impersonation, you will think you are watching the real pair. They are brilliant. So it’s going to be a really varied and full evening and I love it because it’s a different feel to being in a West End show but it gives me the freedom to be a mother and a daughter.’