A WIDNES author has penned his first book documenting the heart-breaking final months before his 'beautiful' wife lost her battle with MND aged just 51.
John Hatton met his beloved wife Julie in October 2009, while he was working as a maths teacher and she was working as an air hostess.
"Crazy, impulsive wife meets calm, risk-averse husband - a match made in heaven," John said.
A 'popular' figure within the community, Julie was 'well-known' working as a Slimming World consultant across Widnes and Warrington.
The couple married in 2015 and lived a happy life together up until she received a devastating diagnosis in January 2023.
"Her first symptom was a weakness in her left arm identified when cooking. She didn't have the strength in her left wrist to move a pan of chilli from one ring on the cooker to another."
Sadly Julie had not long since lost her mum Jacqueline to Motor Neurone Disease in August 2022, so she was familiar with the symptoms others may ignore, John explained.
Julie was diagnosed with MND at the young age of 51.
John kept a diary during the seven months after her diagnosis before she sadly lost her battle.
Speaking on the difficulty of those final months, he said: "With MND there is no treatment plan at all.
"From the moment you are diagnosed you have no hope. The reality of this cruel disease hits hard.
"I was powerless to help Julie. There is nothing anyone could do.
"It is so incredibly hard to watch the person you love slowly fade away.
"Each day Julie got weaker and weaker, her mobility decreasing daily.
"All I could do is love her, care for her and make the most of every day that we had left together.
"Julie had so many good friends so my motive for writing was to keep the family and everyone else involved in the daily events of Julie's journey, but personally to capture every moment that we had left together."
John recalled how writing the diary became his 'safe place' and an outlet to narrate his and Julie's life together.
In a bid to raise awareness of the disease, John sent his works to a variety of publishers and the book was recently published by Scratching Shed Publishing LTD in January - titled No Plan B.
Describing his wife, John said: "She was the most beautiful, amazing, strong, determined and courageous lady.
"She was keen to promote the plight of those affected by MND, and now she has gone it is a fight I will continue in her absence."
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