An Irishman who is living with motor neurone disease (MND) says the coronavirus lockdown is giving him a look at his future.
Sunday is MND Global Awareness Day, with the disease affecting more than 400 families across Ireland.
It is a rare, serious and incurable condition where over time the nerves in the brain and spine experience a progressive loss of function.
The cause or causes of MND are unknown.
Michael Clancy told Newstalk Breakfast his story.
"I was diagnosed at the end of [20]16 - but I actually consider myself very lucky, in that the variant of MND I have is one of the least offence variants.
"My body functions are deteriorating, but at a much slower rate than somebody who has ALS - which is the most agressive version of it.
"In fact my sister described it very good: in that if Carlsberg did MND, my version would be theirs".
"I've been more or less stable with the last two to three years.
"I do try to pick the positives in life, because I'm one of those people who believes my glass is half full.
"At times it is hard to convince myself - I reckon somebody is taking the glass when I'm not watching and making it a smaller one, but it remains half full".
On managing the coronavirus lockdown, he said: "My son and one of my daughters live close-by, so they are doing all I need for me - like the fetching and carrying.
"But again, as people would think this COVID situation is awful and it's terrible and all the negative things about it.
"For me, I am taking the positive from it.
"And you'd say 'what kind of a weirdo is he?' - but I reckon I'm getting an insight into what's in-store for me down the line, hopefully a long way down the line.
"But previous to this, I was driving, I could come and go as I pleased and do as I please.
"Whereas now I'm cocooned in the house, I have to make a list that will last for a week.
"So now I have to plan my week in everything I do: from the bite that goes into my mouth, to anything even as simple as cleaning down the kitchen".
On the awareness campaign, he said: "I would think not enough people know about MND.
"Generally it is known as the 1,000 day disease - so between diagnosis and demise it's between three and five years, if you're lucky to last that long.
"Some people go very quickly - it's a horrible disease".
"Because roughly around 400 people at the moment would have it in Ireland, it doesn't have big numbers to generate massive sympathy or affiliation to a disease.
"So the fundraising is extremely difficult.
"So any opportunity we get at all we try and avail of it and raise the profile.
"As it stands we still have no medication as such or no cure - we don't even fully know where or how the disease comes about.
"So we're generating funds for research and to assist and aid the carers and the people living with MND".
Mr Clancy added: "Before I got this disease I would have been a very independent person, I intended not to rely on anybody outside of myself for anything I wanted to do.
"So for somebody like me to have to ask for help is extremely difficult".
"In the future I will have to relinquish a certain amount of independence, but I'm hanging on to every single little sliver I have in the hope that I get a little bit more time to enjoy Archie and Fred - who are my grandsons".
More information can be found online or people can donate €2 by texting 'MND' to 50300
