Man battling MND marries partner who has been by his side

A man with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) has married the woman who has been by his side throughout his diagnosis.

Brian Murphy, 48, was diagnosed with MND in 2019, just six months after he started a new relationship with his partner, Gillian, 49.

Both being in medical professions, they knew immediately what a diagnosis of MND meant.

Gillian never questioned staying with Brian through his diagnosis and has been his carer ever since.

She said: “I think you know when it is love and when it’s right, and there wasn’t any question at all of what I was going to do.”

With an average life expectancy of less than two years from diagnosis, Brian and Gillian did not want to waste any time together and Brian nervously proposed to a shocked Gillian in November 2020.

The pair had been waiting for restrictions to lift so they could tie the knot and share the special moment with their family, especially their children.

Brian said: “We knew we wanted to get married, but then it was how we were going to do it and the restrictions, and we didn’t want to get married with just five people because we wanted the family to be there.”

Brian and Gillian finally tied the knot on Thursday at Hotel du Vin in Glasgow.

They had 39 guests and live-streamed the ceremony to friends and family across the world.

Brian said: “When I saw Gillian walking down the aisle, she looked amazing. That brought a tear to my eye.

“We knew it was going to be emotional, but it exceeded my expectations.”