A dad who was once the "loudest person in the room" is now losing his voice due to a degenerative disease. Difficulty stopping yourself from crying or laughing in inappropriate situations can be among the signs of the rare but debilitating diagnosis.
Justin Hammond, 50, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease 18 months ago, reports the Echo. An incredibly fit and active man until a few years ago, Justin is now a wheelchair user and is paralysed from his neck down, with his condition continuing to deteriorate.
The 50-year-old is currently being cared for at home in Sale by his family, including his parents, his two daughters Rosie, 20, and Tilly, 14, and a series of carers. Daughter Tilly said: “My dad is amazing. Every time he loses the ability to do something he just accepts it and stays positive.
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“Growing up, he was always the loudest person in the room, which could be embarrassing, but now he is losing his speech which is really tough. We want to do what we can to support him for as long as we can. He’s a great dad.”
A group of colleagues from Princes will be walking from Liverpool to Sale next month to raise funds for Justin. They will be setting off on Wednesday, December 7 to walk the 35 miles from the Liver Building to Justin’s home.
The group will be joined by Kev Darby, a finance controller at Princes whose brother is Stephen Darby - the former Liverpool defender forced to retire at 29 after being diagnosed with MND while playing for Bolton Wanderers. The route was Justin’s daily commute from his home to Princes’ Liverpool headquarters in the Liver Building.
It is hoped that Justin will join the final section of the walk to cross the finish line with colleagues. A JustGiving page has been set up to raise funds for the MND Association and to raise awareness of Motor Neurone Disease and the impact it’s having on Justin and his family. It has already raised nearly £15,000.
Sales director Adam Norcott, who has worked with Justin for 12 years, said: “We have been staggered by the bravery, resilience and humour Justin has shown in the most heart-breaking and challenging circumstances. Justin isn’t just a brilliant colleague but a great friend too.
"We want to do something to show Justin how much he means to us and, whilst we can’t imagine what he is going through, to show him we really care and are there for him. We also want to raise awareness and funds to help find a cure for this awful disease.
“On December 7, we will be walking the 35 miles commute that Justin used to drive daily between his home in Sale to Princes’ offices in Liverpool.”
Mary Hammond, Justin’s mum, said: “Going from working full-time to not at all has been very difficult for Justin, but he was determined to carry on for as long as he could. He misses his colleagues, and his customers, but they have all been so supportive and regularly visit.
“We’re really touched that a number of his Princes colleagues are doing this walk for Justin and raising money for such a good cause.”
Along with weakness in the ankles or legs, slurred speech and weak grip, these are symptoms of motor neurone disease.
Motor neurone disease (MND) can take a person from being physically fit and healthy, to being paralysed. MND is an uncommon condition that typically affects people in their 60s and 70s but can affect adults of all ages.
The disease is incurable and significantly shortens people's life expectancy. MND affects the nerves known as motor neurones which are found in the brain and spinal cord and help to tell the muscles what to do.
With MND, over time messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles and they weaken, stiffen and waste which can affect how walking, talking, eating, drinking and breathing.
Symptoms of the disease happen gradually and are often not obvious at first. According to the NHS, early symptoms of MND can include:
- weakness in your ankle or leg – you might trip, or find it harder to climb stairs
- slurred speech, which may develop into difficulty swallowing some foods
- a weak grip – you might drop things, or find it hard to open jars or do up buttons
- muscle cramps and twitches
- weight loss – your arms or leg muscles may have become thinner over time
- difficulty stopping yourself from crying or laughing in inappropriate situations
Having a relative with either MND or frontotemporal dementia can sometimes mean you are more likely to have the disease. But it doesn't run in families in most cases.
You should see a GP if someone has possible early symptoms, although it is unlikely that you have MND but getting a correct diagnosis as early as possible can help people get the care needed.
People should also visit the GP if someone in their family has MND or frontotemporal dementia. The GP may someone for genetic counselling to talk about the risk.
To donate to the JustGiving page, please click here.
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