Oliver Johnston (48) had been working with Irish Rail for 25 years, the fourth generation involved in the railway. He was working as an intercity train driver before his symptoms began: “I was experiencing some weakness in my right hand when writing for work. Following two GP visits and an MRI, it was getting worse, and around the time of Storm Debbie in November of 2023, I was given a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease (MND). You could say the real storm had just begun for me. I was shellshocked. I knew nothing about the disease and how it would affect me.
“Today, just a few months on, I have a lot of weakness in both hands continuing up into the arms, the simple things we take for granted are no longer simple, like putting on socks, getting dressed, opening bottle tops, zips, buttons, laces, turning a key, brushing your teeth, putting gel in your hair, these are some of the negatives.”
Despite being faced with this diagnosis, Ollie is focused on the positives and on supporting others who are living with MND.
“I can still walk, I can still drive, I can still plan for the weeks and months ahead. I’m getting married next month and planning a holiday in March. My dream always was to do Route 66 and I hope to accomplish that this year too.
“My life has been good, I have wonderful parents, five brothers and a sister, four great sons and a loving, caring, strong fiancé who will soon be my wife. There are many wonderful things to keep looking forward to in this life, so I’ll stay strong and stay positive and battle on for me and my family.”
For more, see imnda.ie
21 мар 2024
