A Brutal Disease

Brutal Disease: Motor Neuron Disease During the Pandemic strikes a fine balance between humour and pathos. It tells a unique story of resilience, fortitude, devotion and compassion, and of how a combination of motor neuron disease, Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic conspired to wreak havoc on the lives of an elderly couple forced to quarantine at home. Manzoor Ishani describes how Marilyn, his loving wife of 53 years, struggled to manage the storm raging within her, and how she became dependent on him as he struggled to be her sole life support. After Marilyn's death, and while still in the depths of his grieving, Manzoor booked a holiday as part of a cathartic process to help him recover from his trauma. It proved not to be what he expected.