Cardiff firefighter Lee Prescott is running the 2026 Cardiff Half Marathon in memory of a close family friend who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) shortly after his 40th birthday. Patrick, a former scaffolder, died in 2024, five years after his diagnosis.
Diagnosis after slurred speech
Lee, who has lived in Cardiff for 20 years and is originally from Bristol, has been fundraising for the MND Association since Patrick was diagnosed in 2019. The two grew up together as neighbours, and their parents have known each other for over 50 years.
“He was just a typical young, fit, scaffolder by trade. He started slurring his words and a few of his mates were kind of jibbing in saying 'you've been drinking already' as scaffolders do,” Lee said. “However, it got progressively worked and someone told him he needed to get it checked. He went to the doctors and they told him he had MND.”
Patrick kept smiling through illness
Lee recalled that Patrick had three young boys at the time. “Eventually he was fully in a wheelchair and had lost his speech and everything but he always kept a smile on his face,” he said. “Even when he couldn't speak there was still that cheeky bit of Patrick. You could still see it in him that there was that same person inside. It was a real inspiration to see that it didn't break him.”
MND damages the nerves (motor neurones) that send messages from the brain to the muscles, gradually weakening muscles and impacting movement, mobility, speech, eating, drinking, and breathing. There is currently no cure, but charities like the MND Association support people living with the condition, campaign for better care, and fund research.
Inspired by high-profile cases
Lee noted that high-profile sportspeople, particularly former rugby players, have been diagnosed with the condition, including Rob Burrow, Doddie Weir, and more recently Lewis Moody. “Rob Burrow was sort of the first person where people really got along with and the work Kevin Sinfield has been doing is just phenomenal,” he said.
Lee ran the 2024 Cardiff Half in full firefighting uniform for the MND Association, adding 20kg to his body weight. “It's definitely easier in a shorts and t-shirt,” he joked. He added that every penny raised stays in south Wales: “If anyone knows someone living with MND, they will directly benefit from the money we've raised. It doesn't just disappear around the country.”
