Sir David Suchet opens up about the private pain he has carried in silence
Sir David Suchet recently got candid and opened up about a deeply personal heartbreak.
In an interview with Daily Mail, the 79-year-old legendary English actor revealed his grandson, the son of his daughter-in-law Lisa and son, Robert, has Tuberous Sclerosis, an “extremely rare” and incurable genetic disease, by birth.
For the unversed, Tuberous Sclerosis “is a genetic disorder characterized by the growth of noncancerous tumours in various organs, including the brain, skin, kidneys, heart, and lungs.”
Despite being noncancerous, these tumours can cause multiple symptoms such as skin lesions, intellectual disability, seizures, and developmental delays.
Voicing his thoughts, Sir David, who became widely known across the globe for playing Agatha Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot, admitted he has had a “lucky life.”
However, he is heartbroken since his eldest grandchild was born with brain damage and is also battling against a brain tumour.
The Executive Decision star said, “It was a shock. Our darling grandson has Tuberous Sclerosis, a very rare incurable disease (in this case caused by a non inherited) gene mutation.”
“He is now 11, but he is nonverbal. He can walk, with a very particular gait. But he is a beautiful child,” the grandfather shared.
“I learned it was incurable, it was hard to take in, not many people have heard of it. So, I’m now campaigning to raise awareness. You can’t cure or halt it what my grandson endures; you just have to get on with it,” he noted.
It is pertinent to mention Sir David and his wife, Sheila Ferris, are also parents to a daughter, Katherine Suchet, who is a physiotherapist by profession.
Notably, the couple has “four lovely grandchildren,” and they are “a very close family.”