'MND has taken everything away from me. Walking again would mean the world'

PETER WAS DIAGNOSED 24 YEARS AGO - NOW HE HAS A CHANCE TO WALK AGAIN

- By JOEL MOORE

TWENTY-FOUR years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), Peter Werezak has been given the rare chance to regain the use of his legs.

The 62-year-old’s health has slowly deteriorated since his diagnosis when he was 38 and is now forced to sleep in a hospital bed downstairs, where he relies on frequent visits by carers and his family.

The disease has already taken the lives of his dad and two younger brothers.

Peter says: “It's taken a lot away. My social life is out the window, I can’t do DIY, even something simple, which does get me down and frustrated.

“It was hard seeing them go. It did upset me. I did struggle with my mental health and panic attacks.”

MND is a progressive and fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerves controlling muscles, leading to muscle weakness, wasting and paralysis.

People with MND often die two to three years after diagnosis.

But some - including Peter and his dad - can live many years longer.