Fundraiser for family after dad's MND death

A fundraiser has been launched to support a family from York after the death of an "amazing father" with motor neurone disease (MND).

Paul Bradley, 35, was diagnosed with the condition in 2023 while working as a secondary school teacher at Joseph Rowntree School.

According to his family, a series of liver and kidney transplants throughout his life meant he had been unable to get life insurance.

His wife, Emma, left her job to be his full-time carer for the last two and a half years, which left her struggling financially following his death earlier this month.

Jack Pullen, who was a friend of Paul's for many years, has set up a GoFundMe page to support Emma and her three children.

"Paul was brilliant. He was very funny, very quick-witted and really kind. He was just a really good person, a really good friend," he said.

"You wouldn't think he was an ill person, other than when he was going through the actual procedures, it didn't affect him day-to-day.

"He just cracked on, he loved life."

Jack explained that Paul's death came as a shock, despite his MND diagnosis.

"Emma's obviously now left as a single parent with three kids, she's got a lot to take on," he added.

"Paul needed full-time care quite early on, so Emma had to leave her job.

"He had a wheelchair accessible vehicle and it's been brilliant, it's a lifeline for people who need it to get about.

"But now that will go to another family or another person who needs it, but that then leaves Emma without a vehicle, so it's a really tough situation."

The Bradley family has previously raised more than £8,000 for the MND Association, following Paul's diagnosis.

Emma and Paul first got together in 2014 and brought forward their wedding to December 2023, when Paul was experiencing symptoms of MND.

Instead of asking for gifts, guests were encouraged to donate cash to the charity.

So far Jack has raised more than £12,000 for the family.

"What Emma chooses to do with it, whether it's the bills, the vehicle, anything, I just want it to give her some time to breathe and be able to get on top of grief and have some sort of security," he said.

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