"THROUGHOUT her illness, it was her wish to help others suffering from the same plight.

"Unfortunately, in life, she was unable to do this due to her illness.

"However, she did leave a precious legacy - her story."

Those are the words of a Southampton author who has written a book ‘You, Me & PSP’ about his late wife Cilla’s extraordinary life and the illness that cruelly took her away from him last December.

Dudley Moore, Nigel Dempster and Lord Coe’s mother, Angela all died of complication associated with PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) a rare and degenerative illness but most people know nothing about.

And so from the early days of the illness Cilla planned for her husband Steve to write a book, both summarising her life and how the illness affected her.

Her life’s story is extremely well documented through her diaries and equally well worth reading.

Cilla’s early years spent living in Palace House in Beaulieu, and meeting all the associated famous people visiting there enhance a remarkable story about a remarkable woman.

As she wanted PSP to be better known than it currently is she felt this would be her enduring contribution. Steve believes that by humanising the story they - as a couple, have achieved this.

Cilla also wanted the PSP Association to financially benefit from the sale of the book. Therefore, Steve is giving all proceeds from the sale of the books to the charity for 25 years following its publication in Cilla’s name.

Due to Cilla’s “dedication”, he decided not to sign a contract he had been sent to publish the book through conventional means and eventually published via a self-publishing company.

This decision was based on how much the charity would receive in the way of royalties. Conventional means would have produced between £2.70 and £4 per book sold depending on the outlet used. As it stands, the charity now benefits from between £6.50 and £7.50 per book based on a £10.99 cover price.

Steve adds: “To finance the self-publishing method, I raised a sum of £3,000 from six sponsors, including Jonathan Terry her undertaker who was so taken by Cilla’s story. These sponsors recognised how much the story would mean to other sufferers and how the charity would benefit from such a story.”

In a foreword written by Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB, LVO, OBE, DL, President of the PSP Association, he says Cilla “ had a passion for life and love. An energetic and flamboyant character, she filled her days with adventure and laughter, fun and friendship.”

But PSP, “a devastating and incurable neurological condition” would slowly and brutally rob Cilla of the ability to walk, talk, see and swallow. But it would not take away her sharpness of mind or strength of spirit.”

The book, he says, is “an honest, open and often humorous account of Cilla’s fascinating and colourful world, both before and while living with PSP.

We first get to know the young Cilla, a busy, energetic and fun-loving child who loved animals and rubbed shoulders with stars of music, stage and screen.

As an adult, flirtatious Cilla was the life and soul of the party, much loved for her spontaneity, charm, wit and infectious laughter.

But sadly her life was to change dramatically. A period of unexplained illnesses finally ‘made sense’ when she was eventually diagnosed with PSP. It was shattering news for Cilla and her husband Steve.

Page by page, Cilla and Steve selflessly take us through the physical symptoms and emotional impact of PSP, so that we may learn from their experiences.”

Since Cilla was a prolific diarist and blogger many of the words in the book are her own. When she was no longer able to speak she gave Steve’s words her approval with a thumbs up.

Cilla donated her brain to the academically distinguished, Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders at the UCL (University College of London) to further research into and help towards a cure of PSP.

The book is available via the PSP Association, 167 Watling Street West Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 6BX or via s.dagnell@sky.com The book is also available on both Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com and found by searching for the name Steve Dagnell.

In the first seven weeks of sales, over £1,500 was raised for the charity. By Christmas that figure is expected to be in excess of £2,000.

Steve is already a self-published Author and writes under the name Shelby Locke. His three published books are: ‘Stepping’, ‘Stepping Back’ & ‘One for Rose Cottage’.