Laura Ann Fitt, 40, from Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, initially believed she had overexerted herself during a holiday to New York City in July 2025. She experienced frequent stumbles and falls, which she attributed to walking 20,000 steps a day and the city's uneven pavements.
Persistent symptoms and a long wait
After returning home, she continued to catch her left foot and developed muscle twitches above her left knee. Colleagues suspected a magnesium deficiency, but taking supplements did not help. She saw her GP on August 19 last year. Over months of testing, her condition deteriorated from using a walking stick to needing a wheelchair for longer distances.
Doctors explored multiple possible conditions, including multiple sclerosis, brain tumours, strokes, and functional neurological disorder. It took a full year of tests before Laura received a devastating diagnosis of motor neurone disease (MND) on July 4, less than a month after her 40th birthday.
'The limbo period was harder'
Laura said she struggled most with the uncertainty before the diagnosis. She said: "I had a couple of falls, tripping and things, but I thought maybe I had just overexerted myself or that I was walking on un-even ground. I'd been waiting for a diagnosis so long that I really knew what it was going to be. That limbo period of not knowing was harder than actually knowing. Once you know, you can get your ducks in a row. All the 'what ifs' and 'maybes' are so stressful because you cling to hope that it isn't something life-limiting."
MND is a life-limiting and terminal disease that damages the brain's nerves and spinal cord, with an average life expectancy of two to three years.
Concerns for her children
Laura, who has worked in healthcare since age 18, was not overly concerned by initial symptoms. At her neurology appointment in January, she asked if it could be MND. Doctors said they did not think so but needed to rule it out. An electromyography (EMG) test could not confirm or rule it out. By May, she needed a wheelchair for appointments, and doctors said MND often takes time to become clear. A lumbar puncture ruled out autoimmune conditions shortly before her 40th birthday. A repeat EMG on July 2 confirmed the diagnosis.
Her first thoughts were for her husband and children. Her 15-year-old son Alex is blind and autistic. She said: "I thought, how are they going to cope without me? I don't want to leave them, but I don't have a choice... My son Alex has developmental issue so he doesn't really understand what's happening, or death as a concept. When you ask him 'what's wrong with mummy?' he says 'mummy's got spaghetti legs'."
She has four children: Alex, Harmonie (14), Gabriella (16), and Ellis (19). She now wants to spend quality time with her family and has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise £3,000 to enjoy her remaining years.
Raising awareness
Laura hopes to raise awareness of early symptoms and encourage people to advocate for themselves. She said: "The nurse in me wants to get the message out there. If sharing my story helps even one person get answers sooner, then it's worth it."
