Stephen Hawking

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Three years ago, Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir was given the devastating news he had motor neurone disease.

Doddie, the doctor told Him he would be in a wheelchair within a year. Half of the patients Can expect To Live about 18 months.

But the former Scotland and lions star never left the rugby field, without a fight, and he was determined he would not succumb to the disease.

Three years on, he is still on foot, to fight of his young rugby games, the ONI and is on a mission to find a cure.

"He said it would be fine" Doddie was the eldest son of Hamish noticed something was wrong with his father on The Family farm Again in 2016, Doddie son Hamish the signs that something was wrong, before he knew that his father was sick had seen.

Doddie had taken Him for "one of their "chats", a walk around The Family farm in the borders.

Hamish said: "We have a rugby-ball and we gave it backwards and forwards, and he fought with his Left Hand .

"But you know what he said as he, it would be in order. "

But things would not be in order.

Later this year, Doddie closed his hand in a door. It hurt, and kept hurting. Long After you should have it, to be healed, to twitch his hand began.

by the end of 2016, Doddie was told he had motor neurone disease.

His wife, Kathy , recalled the exact moment that changed their lives forever.

"As we sat in this doctor, and he said, 'you have MND" it was a big shock for me. It was a shock.

"We know that things are going to be the same, and we are not get the long retirement with what we wanted.

"But at least we have the time and the alarm. We have given this chance to make The Most of our lives. "

'The Crazy Giraffe' Doddie Weir is playing against England in 1997, Doddie Weir is one of The Most famous names in Scottish rugby history.

The 49-year-old started playing rugby for Stewart's Melville RFC. He continued to play for Melrose in the Borders, has won several Scottish Championships with The Club , before he joined Newcastle Falcons in 1995.

He won 61 Scottish caps by the mid-90s, and was selected for The British and Irish Lions tour in South Africa in 1997.

A great favourite with the Murrayfield crowd, the 6ft 6in lock, the famous description of commentator Bill Mclaren was considered as "on The Charge Like a mad giraffe".

off the field, he is best known as The Man in the checkered suit, athlete and speaker, TV pundit, businessman and family father.

Doddie and Kathy kept the news to themselves over Christmas and told The Family that in January 2017.

she didn't go out in public, until after the son of Hamish sat his exams in the next spring.

they decided to make The Announcement to the world of MND day - 19. June - in the effort of awareness for the condition.

Doddie started promised its Foundation in the year 2017, Doddie, he's going to help money, with the help of Research and help people with motor neurone disease.

MND is the name of a group of illnesses that affect the nervous control of the motor functions - The Movement of the muscles. MND stops signals the muscles to reach. In the course of time, the muscles weaken and stop working, to go to the inhibition of the ability to speak, eat or drink unaided.

There is currently no cure and only one drug has been approved in the UK in The Last 25 years, which Can extend the life for approximately one to two months.

High-profile concerned scientists, Stephen Hawking , footballer Fernando Ricksen and activist Gordon Aikman belong.

Angry and frustratedIn August 2017, Doddie gave in an interview to his fellow Scotland rugby star, BBC television presenter John Beattie .

John would have to compile his progress for the next two years, will follow the broadcast on Bbc One Scotland on 6. December.

Doddie was angry and frustrated, saying it was unacceptable to see a disease for which there is no cure.

Although there are exceptions - Stephen Hawking died 55 years after his Diagnosis - about half of the patients die within three years to develop symptoms.

Doddie used The Interview to launch his love, that is My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, and said he wanted to stop "the disease".

tears were, as he said, wanted to see his boys, learn to drive, give you advice on the friends and do the things his father did for Him .

At this point, the MND, the hands, especially for the Doddie, so that everyday tasks such as fastening a button difficult.

Frustration is the dominant emotion in the next two years - of Frustration in the medical profession and the Frustration would be the lack of help after his Diagnosis .

Kathy said: "Doddie is just desperate to try something.

"is He at the moment is good and we need to continue.

"He'll be here in five years, 10 years. He got The Cure by then. "

As the year went on, Doddie began more physical signs of decline show. His shoulders had wasted. His hands had worsened. He joked about needing two hands to lift a beer.

'I want to finish what started Joost', Joost van der Westhuizen was an inspiration for Doddie Doddie Weir is not The First rugby international to face ONI.

2011

Doddie met Joost in Murrayfield for many years, before his illness, and found Him an inspiring character.

Joost died in early 2017, not Long After Doddie own Diagnosis . Doddie studied his J9 Foundation, which aims to increase the awareness and improve the emotional and physical care of the MND sufferers.

Doddie, the Foundation has now Spent £4m in The Last two years - £3. Help 5m on Research , and in the amount of £500,000, improve people's lives by providing money for things Like stair lifts, holiday and wheelchairs. It is also an end-of-life Care Package for the patient.

The Most important tip, Doddie took from Joost was the use of positive thinking. "Use it or lose it" was his mantra.

"It was delivered a big moment," Doddie and his sons, The Game ball at Murrayfield soon after The Public learned of his Diagnosis in the year 2018 to. The Family had tried to cram a lifetime of memories in so short a time as possible

One of these reminders came in November, when Doddie and his teenage sons Hamish, 18, and Angus, 17, and Ben, 15, has supplied The Match ball ahead of Scotland's match against New Zealand at Murrayfield.

Hamish said: "When I went, it was still amazing. It is the support that Hit Me was. I was speechless. Looking Back it was surreal, and an experience that I will never have again.

"Gregor Townsend a role dad played. But I think that was The Point , if it made dad.

"you could see Him welling up, to beat the if you me. I think Gregor told them to go and do it for Doddie. It was a great moment. "

Doddie his autobiography, wrote My Name'5 Doddie - a reference to his number five shirt number and said that one of the reasons was that his sons know what he got up to on the tours with The Lions .

'sympathy is nice to get, but hard to take have thrown in' The Family , in the Fund-raising campaign on the occasion of the 2018 Doddie and his Foundation's Board of Trustees agreed its first investment in MND Research - £400,000 to support The Work of Chris Shaw , Professor of neurology and neuro-genetics, and his team at King's College, London. They are the spearhead of gene therapy in Sporadic Motor Neurone Disease.

This came as the further signs of the disease were starting to show.

Doddie said he was trying to lose weight and joked that he never had a lot of muscle in the First Place .

He said: "I Can walk, talk, eat and sleep unaided.

"Dressing is hard work. Food, bring the hands To My mouth and drink is becoming more and more difficult.

"I'm very happy, in some ways. It is directly with my hands. Other people it starts with your voice, your food, your feet. So, somehow, I Can still do everything, although things might be a bit slower than in the past. "

He said The Most difficult part was when people thank said.

"sympathy is nice to get, but hard to take. It is only the emotional side of things, this hits us hard," he said.

'Hopefully One Day we'll get a cure "A space capsule was built on the side of the Weirs' home-start in 2019 was accompanied by the construction of the Weirs " home in the borders.

A pod has been fixed, on the side of The House , he needs all of Doddie the accommodation on the Ground Floor , if it.

He said: "This is for the case that I Can 't go up The Stairs in The House . A space will be converted into my bedroom. The pod is on the side of The House and Can be shifted to Someone Else at a later time. "

Doddie, the commitments were cut back, and he gave up his day-to-day work.

He said: "It is another reminder, for me and The Family , and this terrible MND.

"Hopefully, One Day we will all get a cure, and I'll be here to annoy a lot of people for a long time. That is The Goal . "

But things have changed.

motor neurone disease

Source of news: bbc.com