Dying man steps back from bid to raise PSP profile

A DYING Angus man has told how his fight to raise awareness of his condition was damaging his health.

Arbroath dad-of-two Keith Swankie said the “repercussions of overdoing it” made him take the decision to take a step back and pull back from “all out war” and live a more peaceful life.

It was a difficult decision for the 46-year-old, a former supermarket manager, who was diagnosed with the debilitating disease progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in 2012.

He was diagnosed more than two years after suffering from eye problems, and the life expectancy from onset is thought to be about eight years.

Despite struggling with his condition, Mr Swankie initially campaigned across the UK to raise awareness and secured a reception at the Scottish Parliament in 2015. One of the outcomes of his efforts was the creation of a new clinical research Scotland.

But five years after being diagnosed, Mr Swankie said awareness of the condition is no further forward than it was in 2012.

“I think awareness i s probably no further forward than it was five years ago if one of my last hospital visits was anything to go by,” he said.

“I had a fall in the house that resulted in me being taken to hospital with pneumonia, which can be fatal for sufferers of PSP and the crew were not aware of the condition. In the ward at handover I heard the nurses say he’s got PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder).”

Mr Swankie will be travelling to Milton Keynes with his wife to raise funds for the PSP Association and help out with a new five-year strategy later this month.

“I know there will be a price to pay later but it’ll be worth it,” he added. fellowship in