Yorkshire mother who thought she'd hurt her knee playing tennis diagnosed with MND
Beata Struzik, 51, became concerned when she was still limping and in pain two years after picking up the injury while on holiday with her family in Portugal. In March this year, she was given the devastating diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease (MND), an incurable condition that affects the brain and nervous system.
It causes weakness that eventually gets worse over time and slowly robs patients of the ability to walk, talk and eat. Beata is unable to shower herself, walk unaided and has lost the ability to speak so has to use an iPad to communicate to her daughter Klaudia and son Adam.
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Hide AdIt is currently unknown how long Beata has left to live, but the life expectancy for a MND patient after a diagnosis is around one to five years.
And tragically, Klaudia thinks Christmas will be 'really devastating' as Beata is now unable to do anything to get into the festive spirit.
She said: "I feel really sad because Christmas was my mum's favourite time of the year. Last year she was able to go downstairs, cook her favourite foods and sing Christmas songs but this year she's not able to do any of that.
"It is really devastating for all of us. My mum spent the first few days crying and just not accepting what it is. We spent two years hoping it would still get better and to hear it's something that has no cure, it was really devastating for all of us. It was very difficult."
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Hide AdSymptoms of MND include muscle weakness, twitches, weight loss slurred speech and difficulty swallowing, which all get worse over time. Beata quit her job as a self-employed cake maker after she was was given her diagnosis by Polish doctors in March.
Klaudia, 22, of Bradford, quit her job as an estate agent to become her mum's main carer and now has to help her mum shower and prepare her food.
She said: "It's been very difficult for us, especially because it's just me, my mum and my brother.
"We have to figure everything out on our own but I can't complain because some people have it a lot worse. There are better days and not so great days but sometimes it can get quite overwhelming. It's not even the fact that I have to help her, it's the fact I have to watch my mum struggling with simple things like getting out of bed."
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Hide AdAn estimated 5,000 Brits live with the condition, including rugby league legend Rob Burrow, whose battle with the illness has captured the hearts of the nation. There is also currently no cure and half of people with MND die within two years of diagnosis but up to ten per cent. Rugby union legend Doddie Weir died last November, aged just 52, six years after being diagnosed with MND.
It's caused when cells in the brain and motor neurones nerves slowly stop working over time, however it's unknown why this actually happens Beata fell during a game of tennis in 2021 and never recovered from the injury. She experienced bruising and continued to limp, which left doctors baffled for two years.
She was finally given the devastating news in March in Poland and is currently awaiting results from further tests in the UK.
Klaudia said: "We were playing tennis on holiday and she fell. Ever since then, she started limping with her left leg. We were trying to figure out how to improve it and how she could get better, but it just kept getting worse. Doctors have said it will have been the MND.
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Hide Ad"We all hoped it would go away because it was such a small injury - she only had a little limp, a bit of pain and a bruise. Doctors had so many random theories that made no sense, so we didn't know what was going on and lived in a limbo of will it actually get better."
The family has now been forced to set up a Go Fund Me page to help with living costs, as they are 'going through crazy amounts of money.' Klaudia, who has just finished studying a masters degree in international legal studies, said: "I'm not able to get an actual job now. It's getting colder and colder - and my mum is always cold anyway because she can't really move so we need to keep the house warm.
"We are going through crazy amounts of money and might need help with the gas and the bills."
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