I AM his carer now... An admission which, tragically, is now familiar to thousands of couples across the county.

Yet as a physical and emotional manifestation of growing older, it always seems like the elephant in the room – best kept behind net curtains, despite the fact that more of us are becoming acquainted with it on first-name terms.

How extraordinary then is the story of Jean and Allan Plastow, who have known each other since they were eight and been married for 62 years.

Sadly, Mr Plastow, 84, was diagnosed with dementia six years ago. Today, as Mrs Plastow acknowledges, “...this has been hard. Our love is still there, no question [but] our life has changed.”

Amazingly the couple, despite the obvious problems they now face, have decided to donate their brains to research into the disease which Mrs Plastow fears will, eventually, steal her husband away from her.

To allow this intimate burden to become public in such a way is testament to their extraordinary strength of character, their courage, and their love for each other.

One can only hope that the example they have set will both comfort and reassure other couples facing similar problems, as well as continue to raise the profile of an illness still seemingly clouded by ignorance and stigma.