“The jab has allowed my world to open up”

Sam Perkins from East Leake, Leicestershire, has lived with motor neurone disease for two years and was initially hesitant about the Covid vaccine

“Lockdown was mentally really challenging. Being told you’ve only got potentially a couple of years to live because of MND, now here’s a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic – and now you can’t go out!

“I was pretty certain Covid would have finished me off, which meant we had to be really careful in terms of who came

into the house in terms of care.

“When I was offered the vaccine, my first reaction was surely that there hasn’t been enough time to have developed it properly. Second, not many people have my condition and the set of symptoms I have, which compromise my respiratory system. Could they have tested it on people in my position enough to know that it’s safe?

“Once I’d got my head around it, I wanted it. I spoke to my clinical team in the hospital, who explained you have to balance your worries against the bigger risk of getting Covid without being vaccinated.

“I’ve had three jabs now and had zero side effects, apart from maybe a slight bit of soreness in my arm. It’s given me the confidence to go out. The jab has allowed my world to open up in terms of going to football and gigs. Those things I’ve always liked to do, I’ve been able to do and it’s a huge thing from a quality of life point of view.

“I’ve launched a charity https://standagainstmnd.com and now I’m vaccinated I can do more to raise funds. I’m planning on doing a triathlon in May and I’ll use it to raise as much awareness as possible.

“I cannot do the boat and the bike any more because the Covid-19 pandemic and MND has robbed me of that opportunity, which is sad, but the thought of still being able to cross the finish line and be surrounded by the people who helped me do it and be part of that atmosphere again, is just massive.”