In early August I was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. This fundraising is to help the MNDA continue carrying out their amazing work in supporting people like myself and other sufferers.

No case is the same but all those diagnosed experience the gradual shut down of their body. This is involves weakening, stiffening and wastage of their muscles, as the motor neurones gradually stop communicating with them. It might first affect someone’s speech, eating, breathing, mental faculty or functioning of their hands, arms etc. In my case it’s come for my legs first. 

It was during the first national lockdown that I was teaching my eldest son to ride a bike. As I was running alongside him I felt a strange disconnect with my legs. I was soon finding it impossible to run or jog - that my legs just wouldn’t do as my brain was asking – and I started to struggle walking upstairs. As my mother, uncle, and grandmother all had MND, alarm bells were triggered. While the hereditary form of MND is rare (only 5 – 10%), the dire results confirmed my worse fears. I did indeed have, not only the gene, but the onset of MND. 

Since then I’ve lost more and more function in my legs, to the point where I cannot walk unaided for more than a few metres and use a  wheelchair when out and about. I feel like I'm in an ongoing grieving process for things I'll no longer be able to do. I think I'm a resilient person, who is lucky to be have many wonderful things in their life, but the physical and psychological impact is massive. Organisations, like the MNDA, are essential to helping people through such life changing, and life shortening, challenges.