Rugby playing dad-of-three hit by deadly motor neurone disease - the first sign was a common symptom missed a DECADE earlier

A father-of-three with motor neurone disease (MND) says his symptoms started a decennary ago—but helium dismissed them arsenic insignificant nervus harm from a sports injury.  

NHS anaesthetist Andy Vaughton, 47, from Poole successful Dorset, led an active, steadfast lifestyle—skiing, moving and playing rugby with his section nine and assemblage team.

But 3 years ago, helium was fixed the devastating quality helium had MND, an incurable musculus information that causes the body's tense strategy to unopen down.

Dr Vaughton archetypal noticed the signs of the illness erstwhile his muscles started twitching involuntary, a communal grounds which helium initially ignored. 

Following a superior skiing mishap six years aboriginal successful 2016, his symptoms escalated, and helium began to acquisition cramps, tremors and weakness successful his hands.

But helium initially enactment this down to nervus harm from the injury.

Dr Vaughton underwent country successful 2020, with hopes to reverse this expected damage, but his symptoms didn't improve.

'I started noticing small things,' helium said. 'I couldn't unfastened jars arsenic easily, I mislaid an limb wrestle I'd usually win. Eventually, I couldn't disregard it'.

However, it wasn't until 2021, during the tallness of Covid restrictions, that helium was told helium apt had MND. 

The incurable musculus wasting information gradually stops patients being capable to move, speech and adjacent eat. 

Average beingness expectancy for patients varies betwixt conscionable 2 and 5 years, depending however accelerated the illness progresses.

But, 4 years on, Dr Vaughton volition instrumentality connected Leeds Marathon to amusement it is imaginable to 'live well' with MND and is determined not to fto the illness specify him. 

'This is astir showing that it's inactive imaginable to bash thing meaningful with the clip you have,' helium said. 

Recalling the infinitesimal helium got the news, helium said: 'I could spot the look connected the consultant's face. He said "I'm truly atrocious - its centrifugal neurone disease." I held it unneurotic until I got to the car. Then I conscionable broke down'. 

'It was utterly devastating—your full beingness collapses successful connected itself. It affects everything—family, friends, work, the aboriginal you thought you had', helium recalled. 

Further tests confirmed the diagnosis, resulting successful Dr Vaughton having to instrumentality a measurement backmost from work.

'There's a play wherever you unrecorded betwixt 2 lives,' helium said. 'Your aged one, and the caller 1 you ne'er asked for. You grieve each relation you lose. But gradually, you find ways to unrecorded successful the present'. 

He has present decided to bid for the Leeds Marathon, wanting to person thing to enactment towards whilst spending much prime clip with his wife, Susie, and his sons Charlie, Jack and Sam. 

Despite needing peculiar slings to enactment his limbs whilst running, helium plans to implicit the 26.2 mile course, supported by household and friends, known arsenic Andy's Army.

He said: 'There volition beryllium acheronian moments during the run—I cognize that. But I besides cognize I'll person radical beside me. This is astir much than finishing, it's astir making memories and showing others what's possible.' 

Dr Vaughton's MND has progressed since his diagnosis, predominately affecting his arms and shoulders.

He tin present nary longer assistance his arms for an extended play of clip and has to instrumentality agelong breaks whilst moving to let his assemblage to recover. 

He said: 'I've been fortunate that it's progressed slowly. But I cognize it won't enactment that mode forever.'

'There volition travel a clip wherever I can't bash this—so I'm doing it now, portion I inactive can. It's painful, but it's besides a privilege. 

'There are truthful galore radical who'd springiness thing to beryllium capable to bash this.'

His wife, Susie, a erstwhile GP added that whilst the diagnosis has been highly difficult, it has besides the household a batch astir perspective.

'We've had to judge a precise antithetic beingness to the 1 we planned. But Andy's attack has been extraordinary. Even connected the hardest days, helium reminds maine we're inactive here. We inactive person each other,' Susie said.

Alongside different fundraising efforts Dr Vaughton has already raised £25,000 for My Name'5 Doddie Foundation—a foundation founded by erstwhile rugby fable Doddie Weir aft his ain MND diagnosis.

Dr Vaughton said, 1 of his astir meaningful conversations since the time helium was diagnosis was with the erstwhile Scotland and British & Irish Lions fable himself. 

'I didn't expect Doddie to ring—but helium did', helium recalled. 'I met him erstwhile successful Barbados erstwhile I was 22, and portion helium of people couldn't retrieve that, helium did retrieve the trip.' 

'Even though his dependable was failing, helium made clip to talk. He told maine to unrecorded successful the moment, to enactment positive. That telephone meant everything to me', helium added.  

Weir died six years aft his diagnosis successful 2022, but his bequest lives connected done the foundation's dedication to acceleration and supporting radical surviving with the disease. 

Dr Vaughton volition proceed to rise consciousness for the life-changing disease, fundraising via his Just Giving leafage for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation. 

He said: 'There are nary effectual treatments. The drugs don't bash much. That's wherefore probe is vital. We request existent progress, existent hope. Hopefully for me—although I'm realistic—but decidedly for those who travel next.' 

According to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the information affects up to 5,000 adults successful the UK astatine immoderate 1 time, and radical person astir a 1 successful 300 hazard of processing the information implicit the people of their life. 

It tin impact radical of immoderate property but is commonly diagnosed successful those implicit 50. 

Life expectancy for astir fractional of those diagnosed with the information is betwixt conscionable 2 and 5 years, from the onset of symptoms. 

However, immoderate radical with MND whitethorn adjacent unrecorded for up to 10 years, and successful rarer circumstances, adjacent longer. 

Initial signs of MND whitethorn see stiff oregon anemic hands, anemic legs and feet, and twitches, spasms oregon muscles cramps. 

As the illness gets worse, sufferers whitethorn acquisition trouble breathing, swallowing and speaking, temper changes and beryllium incapable to locomotion oregon move. 

What precisely causes MND to make successful immoderate radical origin is mostly unknown.

However, existent probe points towards a analyzable interplay of genetic, biology and perchance manner factors—and it often strikes seemingly acceptable and steadfast people.

Last year, Leeds Rhino prima Rob Burrow, 41, died aft a four-and-a-half twelvemonth conflict with the condition.