Published 23rd May 2023, 11:50 BST

John Granahan, 51, has been living with young onset Parkinson’s for over 37 years. He says he was told he had the condition at the age of 21, but it had taken eight years to get a diagnosis.

"It could have been much much worse and I finally had a diagnosis. I think that’s the mindset I started with and it’s a mindset I’ve still got, which has helped me deal with my condition over all these years.”

Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged, causing symptoms such as tremors, slow movement and stiff muscles.

Michael J. Fox's openness on Parkinson's has helped John Granahan. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

“When I was first diagnosed in 1993, there was very little awareness about Parkinson’s. It was very much an old person’s illness.

"I knew there was something wrong, but I couldn’t explain it,” says John, who has worked with Parkinson’s UK to share his story and support others“I was turned away from pubs with my mates because they thought I was drunk. I remember not wanting to go out during the day because people would see me walking.”

“People’s perspectives towards my Parkinson’s totally changed when Michael J. Fox shared his diagnosis,” adds John, speaking after the release of the film Still, following Fox’s life. “It was like it was ok to have Parkinson’s at such a young age. It wasn’t weird anymore."

Michael J. Fox: Leeds man with young onset Parkinson's says actor's openness has helped him feel accepted