What is motor neuron disease? Game of Thrones cast illness explained

game of Thrones actor Michael Patrick Died at the age of 35 The following three years war Living with an incurable neurodegenerative disease.

The actor and playwright – affectionately known as “Mick” to his friends and family – memorably appeared in a game of Thrones Starred as Savage in Season 6 and appeared in British TV series this town and my left nut.

Patrick developed balance and mobility abnormalities while performing and was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in February 2023. Unfortunately, he has a family history of motor neurone disease, and his father also died from the disease.

After his wife underwent clinical drug trials, Naomi Sheehanconfirmed via Instagram On April 8, 2026, Patrick died 10 days later at a hospice in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Keep scrolling to learn more about MND and Patrick’s diagnosis.

What is motor neuron disease?

this mayo clinic Describe motor neurone disease – also known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease – a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

“The disease causes muscle weakness that gets worse over time,” the clinic said.

People with MND gradually lose muscle control of speech, swallowing and limbs.

What are the symptoms of motor neurone disease?

The Mayo Clinic lists “muscle twitching, arm or leg weakness, difficulty swallowing, or slurred speech” as early symptoms of MND. Eventually, the patient becomes increasingly difficult to speak and swallow, and loses control of his limbs.

Michael Patrick’s case first developed symptoms in late 2022 while performing at the Dublin Fringe.

“I had to dance in it, but I kept falling over, tripping over my shoes,” he told me “Brain and Life” Podcast January 2026. “I kept blaming my shoes, kept saying, ‘Why are they making me dance in these big, thick shoes? It’s not fair.'” But things didn’t get any better. “

Patrick’s relatives advised him to see a doctor. When he was diagnosed with MND in February 2023, he had lost the ability to “lift (his) right foot” and was “unable to point (his) toes toward the ceiling.”

Can motor neurone disease run in families?

According to the MND Association, “Hereditary MND affects up to 1 in 10 people.”

The MND Association says: “If you have a family history of MND, it does not mean you will develop the disease, as other risk factors are often required for MND to develop.” state. “You may also hear inherited MND referred to as familial or hereditary MND.”

In Michael Patrick’s case, his father died within months of being diagnosed with MND. Michael admits instant messaging In August 2025, he initially feared he would face a similar fate.

“My dad was diagnosed in February and passed away in October,” Michael recalled. “I didn’t spend a lot of time with him. I was thinking, ‘Am I going to (die) in October?’ Luckily I didn’t.”

Michael told the Brain & Life podcast that his family “appear to be the only people in Ireland who have this rare MND gene”.

“I have four familial inherited versions of FUS MND known to cause MND and familial MND genes. One of them is the FUS gene,” he noted. “I think this is the rarer of the four.”

Is there no cure for motor neurone disease?

There is no cure for motor neurone disease, but research into potential treatments is currently underway.

Michael Patrick was able to participate in a clinical drug trial for a potential treatment and noticed a “first reversal of symptoms” within a few weeks.

“I can now wiggle my right foot (and) toes for the first time in about two years. It’s tiny,” he said on the “Brain & Life” podcast in January 2026. “Unless I had a tracheotomy, my breathing was still normal and my arm was still getting weaker, but the fact that there was some reversal there was really exciting.”

As people with MND gradually lose the ability to speak and breathe freely, some choose to have a tracheostomy, a procedure in which a tube is surgically inserted into the throat to open the airway.

Patrick considered having a tracheostomy. In February 2026, after his neurologist gave him a year to live, he ultimately chose not to proceed with surgery.

“In short, I will not proceed with the tracheostomy,” he confirmed via Instagram February 2026. “I confirm that due to lack of staff it will be approximately 6-12 months before I can return home. A huge thank you to everyone who has helped drive this forward – from senior social workers, politicians to hospital CEOs. Everyone is trying their best but there just aren’t the staff.”