An 80-year-old man who has had motor neurone disease for the past 37 years launched his second book last night. Andy McGovern said that his purpose in writing the book, entitled Against the Odds: Living with Motor Neurone Disease, was “to give something back to this association” which had been a great support to him and others.
“I’ve have this disease 37 years now, my arms are useless and all that but I found out that I was a more useful person with the disease than I was before because I found abilities that I never knew I had,” he said. “The disease ignited initiative and courage and all these things into me that I never knew I had. “Once I got to accept the disease and I got that acceptance in Lourdes, that holy place . . . I started to look at what I’ve got, not what I’ve lost. So I wanted to transform that into doing something for the association.”
Mr McGovern wrote the book using a computer with voice-recognition technology and foot controls.
The proceeds from sales of the book will go to The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.