Making every MOMENT COUNT

Corrine Watson and her husband Paul are refusing to let a devastating disease stop them from living

- MATTHEW BARBOUR

Mum of two Corinne Watson was just 42 when she was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). She's now dependent on a wheelchair and uses an app to communicate, but Corinne and her husband Paul, 44, from Cockermouth in Cumbria, reveal how they're planning to make the most of every moment they have left together.

PAUL SAYS I will never forget that day when Corinne and I were asked to go to the hospital for her latest test results. On the drive, Corinne was in tears, terrified it would be bad news, but I reassured her not to worry. She was only 42 and fighting fit. But when we sat down in the specialist's office, he cut to the chase and said, 'I'm sorry to say you have motor neurone disease.' I fell apart, while Corinne sat there silently. She'd been prepared for this, suspecting that her increasingly bad slurring was the same incurable, horrific illness that Rob Burrows had. I'd kept my head in the sand, refusing to believe that the woman I loved - the most intelligent, caring, adventurous, full-of-life person I knew was slipping out of our lives.

We met in 1997 when we were at the same school. We both went to Salford University, then moved in together after graduating in 2003 and got married in 2005. I worked in HR and Corinne loved her job working for the local government doing regeneration work. We had our son Lucas in 2010 after three tough miscarriages, then Leo came along in 2014. Life felt pretty good, and we had what we thought was an amazing future together as a family.