Jo Whiley on helping her sister with rare genetic disorder grieve their father

• Jo Whiley has emotionally detailed how she helped her sister Frances, who has a rare genetic disorder, navigate grief after the death of their 86-year-old father, Martin.
• Whiley announced on Tuesday, 21 July, that her father had passed away, with the BBC Radio 2 presenter previously revealing on her podcast that Martin had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
• Speaking on Dig It, she explained that she avoided “sugarcoating” the situation for Frances, who has cri du chat syndrome, instead telling her that their father “is not going to come home.”
• Whiley said that shortly before his death, Frances asked her father to say her name, which he managed to do.
• Announcing his passing on Instagram, Whiley wrote: “He was the kindest man, who lived solely to make others happy. He was supremely selfless and loved nothing more than caring for others and making people laugh.”

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Jo Whiley opens up about helping sister with learning disability process dad’s death