Man with MND invents gadgets to help in daily life

A technology expert who lives with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) has used his skills to create a range of gadgets to make his daily life easier.

Andrew Herbert, 55, from Skipton, was a keen cyclist and runner before being diagnosed four years ago with the condition, which affects nerves found in the brain and spinal cord.

He has since invented tools, including a motorised device which rolls back his bed covers, to help make himself more independent.

Andrew, who works as chief technology officer at a Leeds-based finance firm, said he now had had "over 100 sensors in the house" which allowed him to control domestic appliances.

MND leads to the weakening and stiffening of nerves over time and usually affects how sufferers walk, talk, eat and breathe.

Progression of the disease can be rapid - with more than half of those affected dying within two years of being diagnosed.

It is a relatively rare condition most common in people over 50, but adults of any age can be affected.

About 5,000 adults in the UK have the disease at any one time.

Andrew said of his MND diagnosis that it was "quite a shock at the time, because I've always looked after myself".

"It was quite devastating for my family, too, because of the known outcome and what potentially I would have to go through and how they would be affected by that," he said.

Andrew's wife, Nicola Herbert, said her husband's technological know-how had given him a greater degree of independence than he might otherwise have had, given his condition.

She said: "It's just inspirational, really, how brave he's been and how he's put his time to really purposeful pursuits rather than whiling away the time.

"He's just so inventive and positive all the time."

The gadgets devised by Andrew have meant the workload for care staff has also been lightened.

Carer Lauren Sykes said: "Andrew switches between the laptop, the computer and his phone.

"If he wasn't doing that, I'd be doing a lot of tasks for him, but he just does things by himself.

"So that saves a lot of time and I can be off doing something else, while he's working."

Andrew said he was deploying technology to make life a little more comfortable, not just for him but to inspire others who were in a similar situation.

Such is his enthusiasm for tech-savvy solutions, that he has shared his tips on social media.

"I think it's really important to have purpose in your life and the technology that I invent and the work that I do gives me that," he explained.

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