The son of a woman who may soon be diagnosed with a life-changing disease has spoken of his mum's illness and his effort to help her keep her independence. Dan Katchi, from Barry, said his mum Joanne started to become unwell in October, 2022.
The 50-year-old's symptoms started when she experienced slow speech and felt pins and needles in her limbs. Dan, 32, said: "Following that, my dad took her to the University hospital of Wales where she was told it was likely to be a temporary lapse and that everything should go back to normal. Unfortunately from then, everything gradually got worse. She started not being able to use her hands and her speech got worse."
A few weeks later, Dan said his dad Michael took Joanne back to the hospital, where she stayed for the next three weeks undergoing tests. He said: "The second time she went in, they were lucky to see a neurologist who was just about to finish work. As soon as he met my mother and saw how she was and how she was moving and her speech, I think she knew straight away [there was something wrong] because he kept her in that night. He told my mum she was going to have some tests over the next few weeks, so she stayed in for around three weeks."
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Joanne's tests showed a neurological issue, which doctors believe at this stage is either motor neurone disease (MND) or spasticity. MND is a rare condition that progressively damages parts of the nervous system and eventually leads to death, whereas spasticity is a condition that results in an abnormal increase in muscle tone or stiffness, which can interfere with movement, speech, and cause pain. You can get more health news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Dan said his mum would get her official diagnosis on March 28, but that either outcome would have a life-changing impact on the family. "It was a big shock," Dan said. "I’ve naturally had a really positive outlook on life which I got from my mum, and that’s what she's showing now, although she did break down when she found out. We don't know how it's going to go for her because it's unpredictable."
Dan now lives away in Harrogate, north Yorkshire, said he had remained very close with his mum, who is also grandmother to his son Roux. He said: "I know everyone speaks highly of their mum, but my mum is an angel and spends her life giving to other people. We are still very close and we video call most days because I want my son and step-son to have a bond with her."
Going forward, Dan said Joanne would have regular clinic appointments, and had already been taught how to use a speech machine which is controlled by her eye movement. He said that, although his mum had a positive outlook on life, her illness meant she would need to leave her childcare job in late March, which he said she worked really hard to get.
Dan, a professional skateboarder, is now raising money to help his mum keep as much independence as possible. He said: "My dad has always been there for my mum and he was looking to sell the house to get a bungalow to make everything easier for her. This is why I want to do what I’m doing because they deserve to live in the house they have now because they built that up together.
"He has already put handles up and bannisters up to help her. Mum will also need a stair lift and I’m not sure how far occupational health will go with suggesting the adaptations she needs. I just wanted to raise money to help them with maybe a stair lift or a wet room or whatever else they’ll need - especially with her losing her job."
To help raise money for his mum's future needs, Dan will be skateboarding all the way from Leeds to Barry Island. He will set off on May 4, with the 300-mile journey likely to take around five days to complete. Dan, who owns skateboarding gear company Hellcomes, will be taking the trip with fellow colleague Connor, who lost his mum to MND.
His friend, known as Rybo, will film the journey, while mate Graeme Stocks will follow along with a support van carrying the group's essentials. So far, the GoFundMe page has raised more than £4,000. You can support the fundraiser here.
Dan said: "Skateboarding has looked after me my whole life and I’m now calling in everyone I’ve met and shared memories with to help in any way they can. So far the support has been really overwhelming."
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