06/06/2012

Fine Gael TD 'Won't Surrender To Illness'

Fine Gael TD Nicky McFadden has said she will not surrender to her recently diagnosed Motor Neurone Disease and will continue to serve her constituency.

The 49-year-old Longford Westmeath representative had the condition confirmed last week.

"I've never surrendered in the face of any challenge and I'm not going to surrender to this either," she said in a statement.

Yesterday, Ms McFadden bravely detailed her own discovery that her health was failing.

"About eight months ago I noticed having to slow down my speech in order to avoid slurring my words," she said. "I was shocked and distressed when I was told but after a couple of days it was clear to me that this was something to be fought."

"I am determined to maintain my workload as energetically as I have up until now," she added. "As far as I'm concerned it's business as usual."

Last year, the former Fianna Fail Kildare North TD Michael Fitzpatrick died, having being diagnosed with the same condition in 2010.

(H)


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