Harrowing Emmerdale plot echoes my life – I suffer the same subtle symptoms as Eric Pollard and know what’s to come

EMMERDALE’S long-running character, Eric Pollard, finally told his son of his Parkinson's diagnosis last night in emotional scenes.

For dad-of-three Tim Robinson, who is also in the early stages of the condition, the scenes will be reminiscent of his own experience telling loved ones.

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Tim, 63, a trained chemist who tests indoor air for chemicals, says while his close family and most friends were supportive when he was diagnosed, others were more pessimistic. 

“Different people respond in different ways,” he told The Sun. 

“Some are quite scary and say things like ‘Oh I know someone who had Parkinson’s, it’s a horrible condition’.

"Others told me ‘You have to do the best you can to stave off the worst symptoms of Parkinson’s' – and that’s what I have tried to do.”

Emmerdale's Eric, played by Chris Chittell, first discovered he had Parkinson’s earlier this month. 

But after weeks of being afraid to tell his son, David Metcalfe, played by Matthew Wolfenden, Eric spilled his news in an unexpected way.

He walked into an argument between David and his son Jacob Gallagher, played by Joe-Warren Plant.

Believing it to be about him, Eric reveals his Parkinson’s diagnosis to David’s utter shock.

His confession led David, reeling from the discovery that his own son, Jacob, was now dating his ex-girlfriend, to decide to leave the Emmerdale village for good. 

It's only the start of a long road for Eric as Emmerdale bosses work closely with Parkinson’s UK to raise awareness about the disease, which gets progressively worse.

Eric has already admitted to Mandy Dingle, played by Lisa Riley, that he’s terrified of what is to come in the future now that he has the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, after initially going to the doctors with mobility issues.

'Not a death sentence'

Tim, who lives in Cheshire with his fiancée, Heather, hopes the storyline will also hopefully be a powerful insight into what it is like living with Parkinson’s.

The dad to three grown-up children, from his first marriage, said: “Having Parkinson’s is not a death sentence. 

“You do have a life ahead of you and you’ve got to do the best you can to live well with the condition. 

“Symptoms are different for each person and there are different stages but I am so pleased the soap is covering Parkinson’s in such a detailed and informative way.

“I am still in the early stages and I am less affected than people in the most advanced stages of the condition.

"Nevertheless, I experience the following symptoms daily: tremors in my legs and hands – mainly on the right-hand side of my body; loss of sense of smell; difficulty in speaking at times – my voice becomes hoarse; slowness in movement at times and in retrieving information from my memory and a reduced ability to multi-task.” 

I feel depressed, not because I lie there thinking ‘I’ve got Parkinson’s’, but just because it can affect you mentally

Tim

In the UK, around 153,000 people are already living with Parkinson’s. Every hour, two more people are diagnosed - 18,000 people every year. 

Early signs include a loss of smell, constipation or sleep problems. As the condition progresses, it’s most known to cause slowed movements, tremors and stiffness. 

There are more than 40 symptoms, including non-motor symptoms such as anxiety and memory problems.

It makes the condition unique to everyone, and because it’s impossible to say how one person may fare compared to another, it adds to fears about the future. 

'I won't let it beat me'

Tim learnt he had Parkinson’s last year after noticing his right leg had started to tremor. 

His own mum, Yvonne, had also suffered from Parkinson’s for ten years, so as soon he noticed the tremor, he immediately visited his doctor.

“The muscles started to twitch in an uncontrolled way,” explained Tim.

“I went to the doctors and told them about my mum who lived with Parkinson’s and sadly died in 2017 at the age of 76 but they assured me it was rare for it to be hereditary. 

“They put me in touch with a physio to control the situation but the exercises weren’t making any difference. 

“I was then put on a six-month waiting list to see a neurologist. But wanting answers, I decided to see a private consultant who confirmed my instinct was right - I had Parkinson’s.”

Indeed after seeing first-hand how his own mum found it very difficult to cope with the condition, Tim has gone out of his way to try to wade off the symptoms worsening. 

People are advised to manage their symptoms with exercise - and Tim has been told to get active at least two and a half hours per week.

“When my mother was diagnosed with her condition, the first thing she did was take to an armchair with a bottle of wine,” he admitted. 

“After that she gave up.

“I am determined to stave off the condition and so I’ve started going to the gym twice a week, walking the dogs and doing an exercise class that helps hand and eye coordination.”

Also cutting back on his work by 50 per cent, self-employed Tim does admit, however, that the condition can sometimes take its toll. 

“I can struggle to get out of bed in the mornings, “he explained. 

“I feel depressed, not because I lie there thinking ‘I’ve got Parkinson’s’, but just because it can affect you mentally. 

“I am much slower on the keyboard than I used to be.

“And I have found that the shaking of my leg is worse when I am under pressure – so I’ve tried to avoid doing work presentations as that brings out the symptoms.”

There is no cure for Parkinson’s, but some symptoms can be treatable or manageable. But for some people, the drugs can sadly have serious side effects.  

Determined to do everything he can to raise awareness about Parkinson’s - just as Emmerdale hopes it can too by airing its storyline - Tim says he is now looking at how he can enjoy every moment he can whilst living with Parkinson’s in its early stages. 

As well as taking part in a walk for the charity with Heather, which recently saw them together raise more than £1,600, he is planning to retire next year. 

He also continues to attend local Parkinson’s UK support groups.

“I want to help others,” he added. “And talking has also helped me too”.

Parkinson’s UK chief executive Caroline Rassell said: “Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world but is still misunderstood by many.

“A diagnosis can be a blow, forcing people to confront a future different from the one they had imagined.

“We hope that Eric's storyline will increase awareness and understanding of the condition and encourage discussions about the impact it has on those living with Parkinson's and their loved ones.” 

*For more information and support visit www.parkinsons.org.uk or call Parkinson’s UK’s free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303. If you would like to donate, you can do so via the charity’s website.