Man, 33, thought he'd sprained an ankle...it was terrifying motor neurone disease that left him paralysed, unable to speak and with 3 years to live

A 33-year-old sufferer of devastating motor neurone disease (MND) has warned men not to avoid the GP surgery - as being a 'typical man' cost him a crucial early diagnosis.Thomas Hynes, a former IT technician from Grimsby, said he first noticed pain in his knees and ankle in September 2022, which he put down to a running injury. He was also tripping over more often than usual, as his foot began to drop, but ignored his symptoms as a 'typical man'.'I was a very typical man about my symptoms,' he recalls. 'I ignored them for as long as possible until my wife eventually forced me to go.'The turning point came when we were walking our dog on the beach and I realised I couldn’t run, no matter how hard I tried.' His GP originally thought it could be a muscular issue, and prescribed physiotherapy – but things went from bad to worse. Nine months later, in June 2023, Thomas couldn't walk the grounds at his wedding and struggled using the stairs. After undergoing a barrage of tests – including MRI scans, blood tests and lumbar punctures – doctors diagnosed him with motor neurone disease on November 22, aged just 31. Thomas put off going to the doctors for as long as possible, despite experiencing knee pain and tripping over more often than usual The condition, which famously blighted scientist Stephen Hawking, gradually destroys brain cells that control movement, resulting in muscle weakness, paralysis and, eventually death. Around 5,000 people are thought to be living with the disease in the UK, the majority of whom are men. It typically strikes between the ages of 50 and 70, although it can develop earlier. When Thomas was first told he may have the condition, his wife, Jade, 31, 'broke down'.'I remember her breaking down in that tiny doctor's office and I wrapped her in my arms as she cried,' he said. 'I don't think the news really hit me at that moment. 'But every single appointment became more anxiety-inducing as it grew clearer that this wasn’t a simple fix.'Not having answers was excruciating and I felt completely helpless as the tests kept piling up.'In between all the tests, the couple were actively trying to start a family and live a normal life. His condition rapidly deteriorated and just 9 months later he was no longer able to walk around the grounds at his wedding or use the stairs By the time he was finally diagnosed, he was given just three to five years to live. 'I know it sounds cliché, but time truly slowed down,' he remembers.'I just broke. It is an indescribable feeling to be told that you are going to die and that you will suffer every step of the way.''We just broke down when we got home… lots of cuddles, lots of crying,' his wife added. Jade, who was working as a veterinary nurse at the time, reduced her hours at work as her husband began experiencing severe anxiety attacks following his diagnosis.'There was one time he actually came to work with me for half a day… because every time I left the house, there were quite a lot of panic attacks,' she says.Since his diagnosis, doctors have focused on managing Thomas’s symptoms but his movement is now limited to wiggling his toes and turning his head.Heartbreakingly, he can no longer speak and he relies on a device to help him breathe. After ruling out a possible muscle issue, Thomas was eventually diagnosed with MND The condition causes muscle weakness that gets worse over a few months or years. There is currently no cure 'Every stage of this illness is a new mountain to climb,' he added.'It is painful, terrifying, and humiliating all at once. You think things surely can’t get worse, but somehow they do.'My home is filled with medical equipment now. There's a machine to help me breathe, one to assist with coughing, a ceiling hoist, and an eye-gaze computer,' he added.'The list goes on, and every single item is essential for basic survival and communication.'The couple are now hoping for a treatment, if not in time for Thomas then for those who are diagnosed after him. 'In a perfect world, my dream would simply be to grow old alongside my wife,' Thomas wrote. 'That is all I want.'I want to make as many beautiful memories with her as I can without the constant, overwhelming shadow of what comes next.' But Jade, who now runs a bakery business, is also battling her own diagnosis of a rare autoimmune disease, known as Evans syndrome. Thomas can no longer talk and his movement is limited to his neck and toes It occurs when antibodies mistakenly attack red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body.While she has experienced periods of remission, over the past two years she has been in and out of hospital for extreme fatigue. As a result, Thomas was forced to take out his pension early to make ends meet, though they are still consumed by financial worries. The couple have now set up a GoFundMe, with donations going towards bills, specialist medical equipment and creating 'as many meaningful memories together as possible.''It offers us a chance to focus on living rather than just surviving,' Thomas added.'We try to make the most of our lives. We do it, and we do it together.'A string of high-profile diagnoses among actors, such as Grey's Anatomy Star, Eric Dane - who died from the disease in February aged 53 - and elite athletes, including rugby stars Rob Burrow and Lewis Moody and former England cricketer David Lawrence, has fuelled questions why healthy young men in peak physical fitness seem increasingly to be struck down.