Alec: β€œIt was hard – sad, lonely. I knew Mark was very ill, and my parents were really worried about him. He was taking up 1,000% of their time. I did not dare to ask for their help. I felt I would be depriving Mark of their time and effort. I worried about him, too. I felt it was too much for them to take care of him and asking for their help would have thrown them over the edge.”