Blues legend Marcus Stewart says he’s feeling “pretty good” despite having been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Stewart revealed in September that he was suffering with the neurological disease, which attacks the nerves that control movement.
The 50-year-old spoke on BBC Breakfast on Saturday morning, discussing former Leeds Rhinos rugby league player Kevin Sinfield’s Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge in which he ran 40 miles a day for seven successive days, raising more than £1.7 million for MND charities.
"I am fine, the symptoms are pretty slow. I have a problem with my left hand and my left arm — the grip is gone on my hand and my left arm is full of weight loss,” Stewart said.
"Otherwise I am pretty good, I have a few twitches over my body. I am good, I can walk and talk. I feel pretty lucky, if I am honest.
"My wife is normally in bed next to me checking the total - it is great that it has just reached £1 million. The crowds that have been turning up is inspiring.
"Kevin is a beacon of hope. That what he is, to a lot of us. He is doing his best for his mate Rob [Burrow, who has had MND since 2019], along with his mates who are running with him.
"It is over £5 million now with previous events he has done. The awareness is great - when he does it, he does it big. That can only be the right way forward.”
Sinfield’s fundraising is mainly set to benefit the MND Association and Leeds Hospitals Charity’s appeal which aims to build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND.
In addition, there will be donations to MND Scotland, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, as well as the 4ED campaign, in support of ex-Gloucester and Leicester rugby union player Ed Slater, who was also recently diagnosed with the disease.
Stewart and his wife Louise have set up a JustGiving page with all proceeds going to the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, which was started by Stephen Darby, the former Liverpool, Rochdale and Bradford full-back, who was diagnosed with MND in 2018.