Mary-Anne Burdett, wife of Essendon great Geoff Burdett, has detailed the shocking extent of his dementia battle, revealing he can no longer speak and 'his brain is just frizzled'. Burdett, 70, played 37 matches for Essendon in the late 1970s and early 1980s before serving as captain-coach for three country football clubs. He is now in Mary-Anne's full-time care, and she is increasingly concerned about meeting the expenses of looking after him.
A Devastating Diagnosis
Burdett suffers from progressive primary aphasia, a type of dementia that gradually robs sufferers of the ability to speak, write, express thoughts, and understand words. 'He is just such a typical younger onset [dementia sufferer] because he is so able-bodied but his brain is just frizzled,' Mary-Anne told News Corp. 'From the minute he wakes up in the morning he is trying to tell me things but he just can't.'
At a time when she should be enjoying retirement, Mrs. Burdett is worried about how she will afford to put him into professional care. 'You know what I worry about in the future? These homes cost so much money, to put him in care. But when it comes to that stage I won't want to do it, but I have to do it,' she said.
Daily Struggles
Geoff cannot understand when his wife tries to explain things to him. Mrs. Burdett recalled an incident at Westfield shopping centre in Doncaster, Melbourne, on Mother's Day weekend. She and their daughter could not find him waiting for them, and when she called, Geoff was unable to tell them his location. She had to try to convince him to pass his phone to someone who could communicate with her, but he refused.
She also felt compelled to make a speech on his behalf at a reunion held by the Southern Mallee Giants club, which he coached to a premiership, because he could not do so himself.
Payout Denied
Geoff suffered head knocks during his playing days. Mary-Anne assembled medical records from neurologists and speech pathologists who have treated her husband in an effort to secure a payout through the AFL Players' Association's benefit scheme. However, the application was rejected.
'I pull out of a lot of things. I have to think twice about what we are doing and where we are going,' she added, highlighting the toll the disease has taken on her life.
