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<\/p>\n‘His main goal every day was to make people smile and laugh’<\/p>\n
Stuart Gough Jones(Image: Marcus Gough Jones)<\/p>\n
A man has paid tribute to the \u201clove of his life\u201d who died after being diagnosed with dementia aged just 44. Marcus Gough Jones described his husband, Stuart Gough Jones, as having a special gift for making people laugh, stating that his death \u201cdoesn\u2019t seem real\u201d.<\/p>\n
Stuart, from Mountain Ash, had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2024, after having shown symptoms of the disease since 2022. He died peacefully in hospital – aged 46 – surrounded by his family and with Marcus by his side.<\/p>\n
Paying tribute to Stuart, Marcus said: \u201cHis main goal every day was to make people smile and laugh. He just had a way of making you feel good if you were feeling like cr*p.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus hopes his husband\u2019s legacy will go on to raise awareness of young onset dementia, and help other families affected. He told WalesOnline of their plight getting a diagnosis, claiming that Stuart was at first wrongly diagnosed with depression.<\/p>\n
Describing when Stuart\u2019s symptoms began, Marcus said: \u201cHe was driving to work one day and he rang me to say he had had an accident in the car, and that he had smacked his head on the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was sick, he was tired and he had a headache. I think he had concussion. For days and days he had the same symptoms. He was very quiet because he was tired, and after that he never regained his liveliness.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Marcus (left) and Stuart(Image: Marcus Gough Jones)<\/p>\n
After the incident Marcus said he noticed that Stuart started presenting with unusual symptoms, which he now understands are early signs of the condition. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here<\/a><\/p>\n He said: \u201cWe did notice other little things. I call it a dementia smile – it\u2019s a smile where Stuart would show his teeth a lot, an awkward smile. He was very withdrawn, tired and he developed a shake in his hand. The only words he would say were \u2018okay\u2019, \u2018yes\u2019 and \u2018no\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I told you he became the total opposite person, it still wouldn\u2019t come close to how different he was. He was very outgoing, so for him to become quiet and start only saying three words, we knew something wasn\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus said he took Stuart to the GP several times during this period, for the doctor to diagnose him with depression. \u201cI said: \u2018No he\u2019s not depressed,\u2019 but they didn’t listen and tried him on three different types of antidepressants over six or seven months.\u201d<\/p>\n By Autumn 2023, Marcus said Stuart\u2019s behaviour had become more challenging so he took him to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, feeling like he was getting nowhere with the GP. However, they left with no answers.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI wanted him to have some sort of scan because something wasn\u2019t right. We now know that his dementia had advanced by that point. He kept wandering off and doing inappropriate things – which is another symptom. I took him to Prince Charles Hospital (accident and emergency) and we were there for 32 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n Disabled and a wheelchair user himself, Marcus said he struggled to control Marcus at the hospital and sought help from staff. \u201cI was told by a nurse that I could go home and leave him here, but that they couldn\u2019t watch over him,\u201d he said. With that, Marcus took Stuart home.<\/p>\n \u201cAt that point he was wandering around the house at night, I was exhausted. I was washing him, dressing him, feeding him, putting him to bed and doing his medication.\u201d<\/p>\n Eventually, around November or December 2023, Stuart attended an appointment at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon, Mountain Ash. He left the appointment with two possibilities; that he had dementia or a brain tumour, and was placed on a neurology waiting list.<\/p>\n A further incident in March 2024 saw Marcus phone his GP out of desperation and fear for Stuart\u2019s safety. Following this Stuart was admitted into Prince Charles hospital, before he was transferred to the University Hospital of Wales<\/a> in Cardiff<\/a> for 12 weeks, and then referred back to Ysbyty Cwm Cynon.<\/p>\n Throughout his time in hospital Stuart underwent a series of tests, and on his 11th week at the Cardiff hospital he received his diagnosis. Marcus said a scan revealed an old brain injury, but that medics couldn\u2019t say for certain what had triggered the disease. However, a possible genetic link was discovered.<\/p>\n Describing the diagnosis, Marcus said: \u201cFor someone with frontotemporal dementia, it\u2019s like their body is forgetting what it is. How a doctor described it to me is that Stuart will always remember who his family and friends were, he wouldn’t forget people, but the organs in his body would forget how to work. By the end he couldn\u2019t eat, he couldn’t drink, he couldn\u2019t talk, he couldn\u2019t walk.\u201d<\/p>\n Stuart with family members Ethan (right) and Charlie (middle)(Image: Marcus Gough Jones)<\/p>\n As the disease progressed Stuart was placed in Cwm Gelli lodge nursing home in Blackwood<\/a>, which Marcus said was an \u201cabsolutely amazing place\u201d. Then, on November 23, 2025, Stuart deteriorated and was moved to the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran.<\/p>\n Marcus said he cannot thank the nurses and doctors at the Grange enough for how they treated Stuart and the family. He said: \u201cThey were outstanding. They got us blankets and pillows. They brought us tea in the mornings. If it wasn\u2019t for those nurses it would have been even harder for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Describing his final moments with Stuart, Marcus said: \u201cJust before he passed away he was sleeping, and I said: \u2018Bloob – my nickname for him – stop worrying about me. I know that\u2019s why you\u2019re hanging on, but don\u2019t worry about me – I\u2019ll be fine.\u2019 And as I finished saying that sentence he took one deep breath and smiled and that was it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe day that he died, it was a pain that you can\u2019t feel and can\u2019t get rid of. You can\u2019t even describe where it is. You feel like you’re going to die yourself. I can\u2019t even remember driving home.\u201d<\/p>\n Since his husband\u2019s passing Marcus said he has taken a break from his job – a business owner of The Disabled Reviewer – as he navigates his grief.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI still go in the house now and go: \u2018Hiya Bloob,\u2019 At the moment I don\u2019t like my house at all because every room you go in, you feel him there. All I can do now is take one day at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n Paying tribute, he said: \u201cIf I said to you he was the love of my life, he really was. Our marriage wasn\u2019t perfect, but he was the love of my life.<\/p>\n \u201cI had other partners before Stuart but no one ever made me feel like that; I can\u2019t describe the feeling. Every day I would wake up and the first person I wanted to speak to was Stuart. And the last person I\u2019d want to speak to that day was him.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is only one person for me and sadly he isn\u2019t here anymore. No one could come close to him. In my life it will only be Stuart and I\u2019m happy with that, I\u2019ve made peace with that.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus said on the day of the funeral hundreds of people lined the streets of Mountain Ash – where Stuart worked at a shop – to pay their respects for Stuart\u2019s last journey. His nephew, Ethan, told WalesOnline: \u201dEveryone knew him and loved him, he had such a massive effect. On the day of the funeral when we were driving past in the funeral cars people lined the streets. He was loved by all.\u201d<\/p>\n As the family continue to process life without Stuart, they have decided to start a Community Interest Company in his name, which they hope will go on to help many others affected by young onset dementia. Marcus said it\u2019s in its final stages and will soon be established.<\/p>\n \u201cMe and Stuart’s family are going to set up a charity called Stuart\u2019s Voice because Stuart lost his voice,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will be to support families and guide them in the right direction, raise awareness and [provide advice if] someone needs help filling in forms such as for PIP or Universal Credit.<\/p>\n \u201cWe noticed there were no groups to support families of the patients; nowhere to just go and have a cup of tea when all you want is to have a chat with someone who is going through the same thing, rather than someone who doesn\u2019t have a clue saying they \u2018know how you feel\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus added: \u201cStuart\u2019s death just doesn\u2019t make sense. You wouldn’t think that someone of Stuart\u2019s age would get this [illness], and then because of who Suart was, you wouldn\u2019t think it could happen.<\/p>\n \u201cIt still to this day doesn\u2019t seem real. This is why I want to do this charity; it will keep me busy but it will also help others.\u201d A local fundraiser, set up by Carnetown youth FC, is raising money in Stuart\u2019s memory. You can support it here.<\/a><\/p>\n A spokesman for Cwm Taf health board said: “Firstly, our thoughts are with Stuart\u2019s husband at this very difficult time. It is not appropriate for us to comment on an individual case, but we can assure local people that our health board works with partners to set high standards for the care and support provided to those living with, or caring for someone with dementia, and ensure their voices are heard.\u201d WalesOnline approached Stuart’s GP practice, but the surgery would not comment on individual patients.<\/p>\n Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here<\/a>. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. 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