2 weeks Ago
A former Bolton Wanderers player battling motor neurone disease (MND) has undergone a 'life-changing' procedure meaning he is now being fed through a tube, according to his wife. 36-year-old Stephen Darby has been living with MND for the last six years. In recent months, his condition has sadly been worsening.
His wife Steph Houghton has provided an update on her husband's health - saying he has been fitted with a feeding tube following a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. "You want Stephen to be living a normal life as much as possible, to be able to eat as much food as he can and get that calorie intake on board," the ex Lioness captain told The Guardian. "Over the last few months it became a bit risky having food and that’s when the decision had to be made.
"We need Stephen to keep weight on and to eat." Steph said it had not been a great few months because such decisions are "life-changing" and it takes a lot of time to get used to, but she said that, ultimately, it was the best thing for Stephen and allowed him to relax a bit more. She said there were good and bad days but added: "I think we’ve adapted really well over the last six years.
" Steph said it had been a "tough ride" but that she wanted to be honest about the process in order to spread public awareness of the disease, with a discussion about the reality of the disease potentially helping people in future. Darby came through Liverpool's academy before plying his trade at the likes of Notts County, Bolton Wanders, and Bradford City. Messages of support flooded in when the defender was diagnosed with MND in September 2018 while playing for Bolton.
Darby and friend Chris Rimmer, a former soldier, launched the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation in 2019 to raise awareness of the deadly disease, offer support for those suffering and raise funds towards research into finding a possible cure. Mr Rimmer sadly passed away in April 2022. There have been numerous events to support the foundation since with over £130,000 raised.
Last year, writing on the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation website, Darby said: “To put this into perspective, 80-90 per cent of people who are diagnosed with MND die within five years. “A third of people who are diagnosed die within a year and half of people diagnosed die within two years. “I count myself one of the lucky ones.
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