A PHOTOGRAPHER and his friend have spent five years working on a book, collecting the experiences of people living with Motor Neurone Disease.
Miles Pilling, 51, known as the “Scooter Shooter” from Worcester, was diagnosed with the condition in 2013, and he joined forces with his long-term friend, Cristian Barnett for the project, travelling the length and breadth of the country, using his skills as a former BBC journalist.
The pair have created a photographic book - telling 26 heart-felt stories from people diagnosed with the condition.
READ MORE: Worcester's Miles Pilling to exhibit photo work for charity
Mr Barnett said, when he learnt of Mr Pilling diagnosis, he realised he knew very little about MND motor neurone and was shocked to discover there is no treatment or cure and that most sufferers die within three years of diagnosis.
Cristian decided to create the book to raise awareness and money for the MND Association. Wanting more than just a book of portraits, he persuaded Miles to be in each of the photos alongside the main subject.
The project - known as ‘26Miles4MND’ - includes a robotics engineer with MND who is using his own body as a laboratory experiment and may become the worlds first cyborg, people with different forms of the disease and their relatives, award -winning scientists, volunteers, healthcare professionals and people working in the arts.
Mr Pilling says he has “won the MND lottery”, as he is one of the lucky few who have a slowly developing variant of the disease.
Even so, it is life-limiting and he faces the possibility of gradually becoming paralysed, losing his voice and being locked in a failing body with a fully functioning mind.
He wants to do all he can while he is able to raise awareness of MND.
There is a funding page to raise money for research and Mr Pilling wants to stress that none of the money raised will go towards publishing costs.
Visit: justgiving.com/26miles4mnd
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