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Robin Williams' son Zak pays sweet tribute to late father on his 70th birthday
22 July 2021, 11:30
The son of Robin Williams has given an emotional tribute to his late father on what would have been his 70th birthday.
Legendary actor Robin Williams died in 2014 at the age of 63.
On Wednesday (July 21), Robin's eldest son Zak, 38, shared a heartfelt tribute to his dad on Instagram.
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Posting a black-and-white image of Robin, Zak wrote: "Dad, on what would be your 70th birthday, I would want you to know that your incredible spirit lives within us.
"Our family will be celebrating you and your memory today. We miss you and love you always!"
After his death, the Good Will Hunting star was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD). The disease, which had been misdiagnosed as being Parkinson's, was described by his wife Susan Schneider as "the terrorist inside my husband's brain".
The NHS states that symptoms of LBD include having hallucinations, being drowsy, confusion and slower movement.
Zak is a mental health advocate and recenly appeared on The Genius Life podcast to chat about his dad's death.
He said: "What he was going through didn't match one to one (with what) many Parkinson's patients experience. So, I think that was hard for him."
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Zak added: "There was a focus issue that frustrated him, there were issues associated with how he felt and also from a neurological perspective he didn't feel great. He was very uncomfortable."
Zak also spoke of how he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after he visiting a psychiatrist while dealing with losing his father.
"I was heavily drinking to manage my mental health where it created very harmful issues. For me personally, I was having health issues.
"I was experiencing some psychosis and when I spoke with a psychiatrist I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
If you identify with the topics raised in this article, we encourage you to reach out to the Samaritans. You can call them for free on 116 123, or visit their website, www.samaritans.org.
