Like Eric Dane , my husband also died from motor neurone disease

metro.co.uk · Feb 20, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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The doctor’s words didn’t feel real. I thought he’d got it wrong (Picture: Jeff Kravitz via Getty) ‘I am really sorry because you are a young man and this is a life limiting condition.’ After months of waiting for answers, the neurologist delivered them with crushing clarity. It was October 2024, and at age 51, my husband Andrew had just been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), which affects your brain and spinal cord. The condition causes muscle weakness and gradual paralysis, making walking, talking, swallowing and eventually breathing impossible. The doctor’s words didn’t feel real. I thought he’d got it wrong. We’d been reassured in a previous appointment that it was unlikely to be MND. Andrew was fit and healthy, so I was sure he could survive. ‘Don’t look up the life expectancy’ was the doctor’s first advice – so, of course, we immediately did. Like Eric Dane, my husband leaves behind two children (Picture: Pief Weyman/NBC via Getty Images) We read that the average MND patient lives for about two to three years, and that there is no cure. Andrew fought hard against this disease, but he passed on 29th November, 2025, 13 months after his initial diagnosis. It was an indescribably difficult time for my family, so I was incredibly saddened to read the news that actor Eric Dane has died from ALS (which is a form of MND), only 10 months after confirming his diagnosis. I know all too well what Dane’s family is going through right now. Our kids are the same age as his, and it’s absolute hell. One of the main things that gave us strength in this time was having family and friends to turn to – particularly those going through a similar experience – and thinking about the legacy that Andrew could leave. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Clearly Dane had a similar mindset: I believe the campaigning he did before his death will go a long way to helping people living with this disease access the treatment they need. I’m so grateful he used his platform to raise awareness. Devastatingly, it was too late for my husband. They were developing a medicine for him, but with MND, time is of the absolute essence. I hope that in the future, people might have more time. Andrew’s muscles got so weak that he could not breathe out, meaning he could not cough out properly. So in the end, he died of respiratory failure that the MND brought on. There was an immediate connection between us from our first date in London’s Hyde Park (Picture: Milica Davies) I’ve faced adversity in my life – I fled the Bosnian war growing up – but nothing prepares you for a diagnosis like this. I met Andrew online in 2006. There was an immediate connection between us from our first date in London’s Hyde Park, despite my exam-like questions about shared interests and whether he wanted marriage and kids. Fortunately, he did. We were married within 18 months, and renovated a fairytale Georgian house in Hampshire, where we raised our two children in a joyous world of long walks, music and art. Things changed in July 2024, when Andrew noticed muscles twitching in his limbs; the spasms spread to his whole body within a few weeks. At first, we were worried but didn’t catastrophise. We knew MND was a possibility, but it was the worst of many. Andrew joined the waiting list to see an NHS neurologist, but with a waiting list of months and his spasms getting worse he decided to book a private appointment. Here, he was told it was unlikely he had MND, as he was showing no signs of Bulbar Palsy, a type of MND that primarily affects the tongue and can be spotted easily as it causes tongue weakness. Although Andrew did suffer from tiredness and mobility problems – his ankle was very weak, making it difficult to walk long distances. But Andrew’s NHS appointment in October 2024, made it clear this wasn’t the case. He had MND and he was going to die. We tried to stay upbeat, but started hitting barriers straight away. We tried to stay upbeat, but started hitting barriers straight away (Picture: Milica Davies) By July 2025, Andrew was placed on a breathing machine 24/7 and was now almost completely tube fed. Being fully paralysed, he was left with 20% use of one of his hands. This is the speed similar to a lot of MND patients, which is something we were not prepared for, no matter how much our doctors tried to warn us. We’d put off telling our two children for as long as possible, but we reached a point where Andrew couldn’t even go for a walk. We made up reasons for why, like saying ‘Daddy has a lot of work’, but there is a point at which you can’t keep making excuses. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do (Picture: Milica Davies) The kids sat on the sofa and Andrew talked them through how his ankle was getting weak, and this was part of a bigger problem. We all cried. Our daughter said, ‘But what would be the point of life without you?’ Our son was also upset but wanted to know how this would affect Daddy’s salary, which was met with both laughter and explanations. What is motor neurone disease? Motor neurone disease (MND) is an uncommon condition that affects the brain and nerves. It mainly impacts people in their 60s and 70s, but it can affect adults of all ages. MND is caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones. Over time, these cells stop working, and the disease gets gradually worse - moving, swallowing and breathing get increasingly difficult. Currently there is no cure for the disease, which shortens life expectancy and eventually, leads to death. Treatments do exist that mean some people can live with the condition for many years, including physiotherapy and a medicine called riluzole that can slightly slow down the progression of the condition. In most cases, it is not hereditary, but having a close relative with motor neurone disease can sometimes mean you're more likely to get it. The NHS lists the early symptoms as: weakness in your ankle or leg – you might trip, or find it harder to climb stairs slurred speech, which may develop into difficulty swallowing some foods a weak grip – you might drop things, or find it hard to open jars or do up buttons muscle cramps and twitches weight loss – your arms or leg muscles may have become thinner over time difficulty stopping yourself from crying or laughing in inappropriate situations The NHS advises you to speak to your GP if you experience the symptoms. 'It's unlikely you have motor neurone disease, but getting a correct diagnosis as early as possible can help you get the care and support you need,' they state. For more information and support you can contact the MND Association. His question was a good one. My husband’s disease is a health problem, but it’s also a life problem. Every aspect of our lives has been upended, including our finances. Andrew was an NHS consultant psychiatrist, so he’s always been well paid and we rely on his income. But when he was diagnosed, he was advised to retire immediately instead of taking sick leave. He was reluctant to stop working because of family finances. I then gave up working as a guitar teacher to care for him. His life insurance initially refused to pay out, bafflingly claiming he could still recover from this incurable disease. They eventually relented, which helped our family during this difficult and expensive time. I’m a guitar teacher but also spend a lot of time looking after the children (Picture: Milica Davies) With Andrew unable to work and me too busy to work alongside looking after him and the kids, we’re struggled to pay our mortgage and worried we may have to downsize. I reached out to charities for help to mixed effect. Our local hospice has been brilliant and will provide palliative care when needed, and an MND charity gave us a grant to pay for a family holiday. But there’s not enough being done to find a treatment or cure. This wouldn’t be acceptable with any other disease, so why should it be tolerated by families like mine whose lives are being destroyed? What we need to fight MND is precision medicine, RNA therapy which control, edit, or replace genetic information to treat diseases. RNA therapy regulates protein expression, thus correcting the genetic mutations that can cause MND. . That’s why it’s crucial to get tested to see if a known genetic cause can be determined. They can now be developed within 6 months in the US. So, despite the rapid progression, we worked with US biotech, and a team in the UK, developing a precision medication to target the protein imbalance. This will hopefully present a new, smoother, cheaper, and more effective way forward for those suffering from MND. We’re struggling to pay our mortgage and will probably have to downsize (Picture: Milica Davies) But sadly, it was not enough for my husband. He died two months before his medication could be completed. By the time we knew about the company in August 2025, it was far too late. With such a short prognosis, there are only 5,000 people alive with MND in the UK at any one time. That’s 5,000 people who may be feeling invisible, vulnerable, and let down and essentially left for dead. Our family are coping well, I’m back at work and the kids are doing their best. We often dream of times that our Daddy got ill when a cure was possible for him. We need to break the taboo around MND and find a cure – now, so no other family like ours, and Eric Dane’s have to suffer how we did. Deals of the Day The Traitors is over – but Claudia Winkleman’s shoes are everywhere Craving sun, city streets or theme parks holdays? This £99 mystery deal has it all This easy concealer trick transformed how my makeup looks and lasts all day The best winter running kit to survive marathon training in freezing weather Tour Emily in Paris Season 6 Rome hotspots with a getaway from just £79pp This piece was originally published on March 9,