Motor Neurone Disease

In 2013 I heard that my close friend Miles Pilling had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease (or MND).

Not knowing anything about MND I was shocked to discover most people die within 3 years of diagnosis. My friend Miles was one of the "lucky" few who have a slowly developing variant. Even so, he faces the possibility of gradually becoming paralysed,  losing his voice and being locked in a failing body with a fully functioning mind.

Miles had spent nearly all his working life as a television news cameraman, director and journalist but in April 2014 was forced to give up his career because of disability caused by MND. 

Soon afterwards myself and Miles began a photographic project to raise awareness of motor neurone disease - Photographing and interviewing 26 people who's lives have been affected in diverse ways by MND. To make it memorable, against his better judgement, Miles was persuaded to be in each of the portraits alongside the main subject too. 

Over a period of five years we travelled the length and breadth of England and into Scotland, taking portraits and interviewing more than 26 people from people who have the disease to clinitians, researchers, carers, charity workers and a few celebs too. 

The resulting stories and photographs were made into a book to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Motor Neurone Disease Association in October 2019.