Lenny Johnrose feels it is his duty to spread the word to footballers about the āfrighteningā statistics suggesting a link between professional contact sport and motor neurone disease, but says nothing would have deterred him from pursuing a career in the game.
The 49-year-old former midfielder was diagnosed with MND in March 2017 after a hand injury failed to heal properly.
The diagnosis hit the ex-Blackburn, Bury, Burnley and Swansea man hard, plunging him into depression and initially prompting him to look into assisted dying.
āI had thoughts about not wanting to be a burden,Ā and of not wanting to have this long or short, painful death,ā Johnrose told Press Association Sport.
āSo there were some really, really dark days where you absolutely think the worst.ā
MND affects how a sufferer walks, talks, eats and breathes. It is a life-shortening condition for which there is no cure.
There is a one in 300 risk of developing MND in a lifetime, but recent studies have pointed to an increase in that risk for those involved at the top level of sports such as football, rugby and gridiron.
A review of 16 separate studies conducted by eight medical establishments worldwide concluded earlier this year that those who sustained repeated blows to the head and spine in top-level sport were more than eight times more likely than an āaverageā person to develop the disease.
Former Scotland rugby star Doddie Weir is a sufferer and now spends his time raising funds and awareness for the condition, while it claimed the lives of South African Rugby World Cup winner Joost Van Der Westhuizen and ex-Celtic winger Jimmy Johnstone.
Johnrose, who became a primary school teacher after retiring from football, now wants to educate current professionals about the condition, and the ongoing research.
āItās quite frightening to learn (what the new study shows) and Iām going into clubs and I have to be quite sensitive to that, because I donāt want people to think āoh my goodness, Iām going to get motor neurone disease because I play footballā.Ā Because I wouldnāt have done anything differently,ā he said.
āBut I just think itās an important message for them to know.
āA lot of studies and research still need to be done, I get that. But the fact that there are suggested commonalities between football and motor neurone disease, it seems completely wrong of me to not to try to spread that word.
āIf it turns out that there is a link, in terms of implications that would be absolutely huge within the game of football. So I think itās a message worth certainly passing on.ā
Johnrose is prioritising time with his wife Nadine and his children Chanel, Elizabeth and Patrick, but has also launched Project 92.Ā He intends to visit every professional club to raise funds and awareness of the disease he lives with.
He visited his old club Blackburn earlier this year, and Rovers captain Charlie Mulgrew told the teamās official website: āWhen Len said that studies have shown that it can happen in sportsmen it really makes you appreciate how lucky you are and how things can just come on unexpectedly.
āYou need to be thankful for your health ā itās the best thing you can have in life.ā
Johnrose says the turning point for him came when he began to talk openly about the condition.
āIt just took me a while to get there mentally, but after going public in August, it was as though the shackles had gone,ā he said.
āThe Motor Neurone Disease Association got in touch with me and were grateful that I had come out, because they said theyād needed somebody really to raise the profile within the public of motor neurone disease.ā
Johnrose was overwhelmed by the kind words he received via social media, and he praised the practical support he has received from the Professional Footballersā Association and the local council.
āThe PFA have been really good. They have helped with getting some adaptations done in the house, making it more accessible,ā he revealed.
āThe local council and the NHS ā as much abuse as they get ā theyāve been unbelievably helpful.ā
So how does he feel about the future now?
āIām OK with it,ā Johnrose said.
āIām over the initial shock and occasionally I get thoughts of what life is going to be like for the people you leave behind but I canāt think like that.
āIām going to continue to raise awareness, Iāll go away on holiday and have breaks when I can, Iāll do things with the family that I can and when I can, and Iāll just continue to enjoy my life whether Iām here for the next two minutes or the next 20 years.ā
:: To contribute to Lenny Johnroseās fund-raising effort, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/project92
Comments & Moderation
Readersā comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readersā comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the āreport this postā link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel