Jo Whiley has emotionally detailed how she helped her sister Frances, who has a rare genetic disorder, through grief after the death of their father, aged 86.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter, 61, announced the news of Martin’s death on Tuesday (21 July) after previously revealing on her podcast that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Now, Whiley has spoken on how she broke the news to her younger sister Frances, a 58-year-old with cri du chat syndrome, a genetic disorder that can cause significant learning disabilities.
“Frances has been extraordinary, and she completely understands what is going on,” Whiley said on Dig It, adding that ahead of Martin’s death, she knew that he “wasn’t going to get better”, but kept asking: “Not going to die?”
However, “instead of sugarcoating it”, Whiley would tell her: "Well, he is not going to come home.”
“And she kind of pauses and she's like, ‘OK, where is he going?’ And my mum is a really, really devout Christian, and she says, ‘Well, he's going to Jesus, and that's where we all go.’”
Whiley said it was beautiful to watch Frances “be so tender with him”, adding that she has “talked about her accepting grief before and coming to terms with things”.
She also shared that shortly before his death, Frances kept going “Say my name, say my name” – and he did, despite being on the cusp of consciousness.
Growing tearful, Whiley called it a “really lovely moment”, adding: “It was really good. She keeps saying, ‘Daddy said my name!’ It couldn't have been better.”
When announcing the news, Whiley wrote on Instagram: “My lovely Dad died today. 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.”
The broadcaster said she has received “so many messages” praising her father and describing him as “a character”, which she said “sums him up completely”.
Whiley added: “I have Dad to thank for my love of music – he used to walk around the building site where he worked as an electrician with a huge ghetto blaster – the OG DJ and his passion for music never went away.
“His love for Elbow, Coldplay and Dido was unrivalled.”
According to the NHS, Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition where parts of the brain become damaged over many years, affecting movement, as well as bodily and mental functions.
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