A Scottish mum who couldn't squeeze soap from a cloth while washing dishes was told she had just 18 months to live after a shock Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis.
Helen McMurray, from Cowdenbeath in Fife, noticed herself struggling to grip onto things and use strength in one hand in November 2021. After the 66-year-old was referred to a neurologist by her GP, she underwent months of tests.
Helen was given the life-changing news in May 2022 as the tests concluded she had MND. A further blow was delivered to the grandmother-of-two when doctors gave her around 18 months to live.
READ MORE: Police rush to Edinburgh street after car flips onto its roof in horror smash
Speaking to the Record using a speech machine, Helen described the debilitating disease as "torture" for herself and everyone around her.
She said: "I first noticed I couldn't squeeze out a cloth when I was doing the dishes and it started getting weaker really quickly. Never in my life did I think I had Motor Neurone Disease
"It was the worst news imaginable. My daughter was with me, I can't imagine how I would have felt if she wasn't. I couldn't take any of it in."
The former barmaid continued to pour pints with her right arm at the Old Cross Guns Inn in her hometown until she lost strength in both arms a few months later.
She continued: "When my other arm started to weaken, I had to stop working. The reality of the illness took its toll on my mental health.
"I didn't want to leave the house at all, I didn't want anyone to see me. We had no idea how difficult this was going to be."
Helen has now lost power in both arms, her neck, and communicates with a speech machine that she operates using her feet. Her husband Kevin, 64, has stepped back from his coach driver job to care for Helen full-time.
Helen's family have now launched a fundraiser to help purchase a wheelchair accessible vehicle to make the most of the time she has left.
Helen continued: "We have a wheelchair accessible vehicle which is being rented by an anonymous donor and it allows me to leave the house.
"I didn't want anyone to see me but the rented vehicle has given me more confidence and I can travel comfortably and safely. Sadly this is just a short term solution until we can raise enough funds to buy our own.
"The support from everyone has been overwhelming. Everyone has been so kind and a small act of kindness makes the unbearable, bearable.
"We just want to continue to raise awareness about MND and the effects that it has had on myself and my loved ones. We hope and pray every day that someone somewhere will find a cure."
MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles and can cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, swallow or breathe unaided.
Helen and her family hope to continue raising funds for research into the condition. Her daughter Morna, 26, has already raised £3,000 for MND Scotland by holding various events and fundraisers.
To donate to the fundraiser and help Helen get a wheelchair accessible vehicle, click here.
READ NEXT:
Edinburgh fixer upper home in one of city’s popular areas joins the market
Edinburgh city centre venue launching drag queen boozy brunches
Edinburgh sword swallower seriously injured after signature trick goes wrong
Eerie Edinburgh ghost sign uncovered by workers as they renovate shop
The Edinburgh pub in the middle of a housing estate that even local struggle to find
