Home / Arts and Entertainment / Footy Icon's Daughter Shares Heartbreaking Dementia Battle
Footy Icon's Daughter Shares Heartbreaking Dementia Battle
18 Mar
Summary
- Daughter Erin Mortimer shares emotional struggle with father's dementia.
- Steve Mortimer, Bulldogs legend, now requires full-time care.
- Erin wrote a song, 'Lullaby for the Old Man', to cope.
The family of rugby league icon Steve Mortimer is navigating the painful reality of his declining health due to dementia. Mortimer, a celebrated captain for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and a former New South Wales and Australia representative, was diagnosed with the condition in 2021. His daughter, Erin Mortimer, recently appeared on the ABC series 'The Piano' to perform an original song titled 'Lullaby for the Old Man,' a heartfelt ode to her father.
Erin described her father, affectionately known as 'Turvey,' as the 'Mother Hen' of the family, always central to creating joyful memories and family gatherings. She expressed the deep heartbreak of watching her 'superhero' father slowly fade away. As his condition has worsened significantly since his diagnosis, Mortimer now requires full-time care in a Sydney nursing home.
The song 'Lullaby for the Old Man' was written by Erin as a way to process the grief and emotional toll of her father's illness. She explained that songwriting has been a vital tool for her, allowing her to express her love and memories of the man he was. Her performance on 'The Piano' brought tears to her mother, Karen, and other audience members, highlighting the profound impact of their family's journey, which Erin refers to as 'the long goodbye.'
