A Scots dad has been told he has just three years left to live after a devastating Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Alex said: "I had been struggling to walk and got unsteady on my legs which was around four years ago. I got an EMG in 2019 on my legs where they give you electric shocks to check your nerves but nothing came up. "I was still falling over a lot of the time and she said she did not believe the stenosis was the main issue. I had an MRI and there was a trapped nerve in my neck that had been there for two years. I had an operation and my symptoms didn't get any worse but still continued."
Symptoms of motor neurone disease include muscle weakness, twitches, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. The symptoms get worse over time eventually leading to death. "With rugby players like Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow speaking out about it funding has increased. JK Rowling's mum also had MND and invested millions to open the centre at the Royal Infirmary. At the hospital, they have taken my blood and DNA for research to hopefully help other people with the disease in the future.
He explained: "We told my son a couple of nights ago, he is the most caring lad in the world and always wants to help me. He is just like me in many ways. We explained what the disease was and that I'm going to get worse and lose my voice but he has taken it well and is his normal self just now but my partner still gets really upset.