NAME: Grace Toussaint AGE: 32 years OCCUPATION:   Chef CASE: Early stages Motor Neurone Disease

NOTES

Grace: Recently started work at incredibly fashionable 'Singing Oyster'. Head chef – first woman chef, first black chef. After 3 months starts dropping things. No other symptoms.

Stress because of new job? No – relaxed and happy.

Diagnosis: Motor Neurone Disease.

Time left to work? Probably several months . . . need to work with Oyster colleagues to ensure work OK. Need to find out what the Oyster management is like – crucial. Time left until death? No indications at present. Grace wants everything as normal as possible as long as possible.

Family situation – husband (Ryan), very supportive family. Large network of friends and colleagues. NB Grace loves food and a great talker. Need to ensure full support so she can work as long as possible and has greatest quality of life possible. NB Living with MND.

RELEVANT FACTORS:

• MND is always terminal. Your body's nervous system breaks down so your body stops working. Your brain is not affected by the disease.
• An MRI scan is used to help towards the correct diagnosis.
• Grace will need help walking and in the later stages of the disease help with a wheelchair; she'll need help with 'sitting up' and with using her arms and hands.
• Her speech will become slurred and gradually deteriorate. She'll need to communicate with her family and they with her.
• Grace has always loved food. It's important that she can continue to enjoy this pleasure.
• The team of people who support Grace through her illness will work with her husband (Ryan), family, friends and work colleagues – Grace will be enabled to be as active (and at work) as long as possible. Why do they have to work with all these people and not just Grace? Who are the team?
• It's important that Grace can approach the end of her life with dignity and the love of her family and friends around her.