'I don't know what future holds after MND diagnosis'

Ryan Horsfall had always been fit and healthy when he noticed a ripple in his bicep and then a loss of mobility in his arm.

The future for him and his wife, Kimberly, was focused on raising their three young children and making memories together.

But just before Christmas doctors told him his arm issues - which he first had in October - were being caused by motor neurone disease (MND) - a condition that causes muscle weakness which gradually worsens and there is no cure for.

The 39-year-old from Stowmarket in Suffolk now faces an unknown future, but he is determined not to let the diagnosis define him as he focuses on spending time with his family.

Ryan was working as usual in his job as a plumber when he first lost control of his left hand.

"I just couldn't get it to do what I wanted it to do," he explained.

"It was a cold morning... it still wouldn't work and I just thought, 'oh, that's a bit strange'.

"But as the day progressed, it got better."

Kimberly suggested he get checked by the doctor and after various tests, it was later confirmed to be MND.

She said the diagnosis left her feeling "heartbroken".

"Seeing him as devastated as he was, was really difficult because I just wanted to take it away, but I couldn't," she said.

"All you can do is [say], I'm sorry."

The couple have three young children aged three, six and eight who knew their dad had been unwell.

Kimberly said the couple had tried to put across the news positively, explaining that they now knew "what's wrong with daddy".

"You just feel so bad for them because it's not something they should have to go through," she added.

Talking of her husband's prognosis, she added: "We can't really control the progression or anything like that, but what we can try and do is be positive... there's a lot to live for.

"We're just going to try and not look too far into the future because that's the part where we are really scared about.

"Right now, it is difficult to try and do normal things, but we have to keep doing it and we will have to continue to adapt to everything."

Ryan said their eldest understood and while the two youngest did not, he said they were "resilient".

Despite the fact he does not know how his future will look and as he "rapidly" loses movement in his arm, Ryan is determined to continue to work while he still can and wants to stay positive.

"I won't let it define me," he continued.

"That's not who I am as a person. That's not who I will be.

"One thing I've always said, I won't hide away from it."

Friends of the couple have launched a fundraiser to support the family for when the popular dad reaches the stage where he is unable to work.

More than £57,000 has already been raised by the "overwhelming" gesture.

Other friends and colleagues are also planning fundraising events in support of the couple.

Micheal King, who works at and knows Ryan through the plumbers' merchant, Plumbase in Stowmarket, is organising a sponsored skydive with eight others.

"We're quite a close-knit here and obviously we've supported other charities, but obviously this is quite important for us, because obviously I've known Ryan for quite a long time," he said.

"It's a bit more than work ... we're friends.

"We want to support him and his family as much as we can through this awful thing that he's going through."

Ash Revett, another friend and colleague, was shocked by the diagnosis as his pal had always been fit.

"I've been helping him as much as I can with heavy lifting and anything he used to be able to do that he can't do," he said.

"It's been pretty devastating. He's got a lot of close mates, a lot of close family and it's hard."

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