Bjorn Formosa: Next operation could leave me completely paralysed

ALS sufferer Bjorn Formosa will undergo an operation that will leave him unable to speak, and which could also leave him completely paralysed.

Formosa, who inspired the nation with his courage and determination, will undergo surgery on 3 September.

In an interview with Xarabank, Bjorn said his breathing had become very difficult, his lung muscles having deteriorated sooner than expected.

The mask he is currently using will not be enough after the surgery.

“If I don’t do anything I will die soon,” Bjorn explains, but the operation carries a lot of risks. “I might become completely paralysed, unable to even move my eyes, trapped in my own body,” he says, adding that the prospect of that happening was terrifying.

He says the biggest fear for his wife Maria is that he might be unable to communicate with her properly after the operation. “Deep down she does not wish me to go through with this, but she knows that the other option is death.”

“This is an extremely difficult situation. I never imagined that I would end up at this crossroads, without a choice that could lead to a positive solution. We will have to see how things go after the operation. We will live day by day.”

Last year, Bjorn realised his dream of opening the first Maltese home for ALS sufferers, aptly called Dar Bjorn. He is now raising funds to build a second home.

Bjorn is inviting the public to join him for Versatile & Friends for ALS on 1 September, and another fundraising marathon on Xarabank on 19 October.