Tonight Neighbours fans are in for a treat with the return of Terence Donovan, who will reprise the role of Doug Willis on the nightly soap.
Neighbours will shine a spotlight on the growing epidemic of Alzheimer’s Disease, as Doug visits his family in a bid to create new memories before succumbing to his declining health.
The highly emotional storyline moved viewers in April last year when Doug was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s after a series of forgetful and dangerous mishaps. The devastating impact of the disease was felt by his entire family, including his son Brad (Kip Gamblin) and estranged daughter-in-law Terese (Rebekah Elmaloglou).
Terence is actively involved in Alzheimer’s Australia and commended the writing team at Neighbours for raising awareness of the debilitating illness.
Terence said: “I think Neighbours is a wonderful forum to raise the subject with young people so that they are aware of what older people are coping with. Nearly all families are going to be impacted by it in the future.”
The acting veteran has been personally touched by the disease after watching loved ones struggle through varying degrees of mental and physical deterioration.
The storyline will highlight the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease at home and the limited options available to them. An estimated 1,800 people are diagnosed each week with varying forms of dementia and over 1.2 million people across Australia are involved in caring for a relative with the disease.
Terence will return to screens tonight at 6.30pm on Eleven.
