Cork father of three passes away just months after Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis

In the interview Bryan, who lived in Carrigaline with his family, spoke about his abounding love for his young children Elle, 6, Jesse, 3, and one-year-old Ty as well as his wife Charlotte. He thanked contributors to a GoFundMe account that generated around €67,830 for advanced medical treatment in the US, assistive technology, home adaptations, and other costly expenses.

Despite his devastating diagnosis that saw him confined to a wheelchair in the space of a few weeks, Bryan still made sure to enjoy the happy moments with his children.

In a previous interview with the Irish Examiner, the 41-year-old said he wanted to be able to participate in his children’s lives for as long as possible.

“They are very happy kids who love fun. Even last night Elle was running around and screaming with excitement after hearing she was going to Rumley’s Farm for her school tour. She is most excited about going on the bus. Before that she had no idea what a school tour even was. I was really glad to be there for that moment.” 

The proud dad celebrated every milestone of his children’s lives right to the end. 

Speaking about his toddler son Ty he said: “He is only crawling three weeks and now he is standing and taking his first steps. You can see him getting bigger by the day. 

“I look at him standing and think, ‘this is great’ and then I remember I can’t stand anymore. However, it’s still amazing to see and to watch him on that journey.” 

Bryan was keen to play a role of improving the lives of people with MND and had been exploring new assistive technologies in a bid to retain some semblance of independence.

“I’m looking at technology like smart glasses or robotic gloves so I can continue to try to eat. The hope is to really push the boundaries to find out what’s out there — not just in Ireland, but globally too. 

“It might sound funny and like a really small thing but having the ‘Are you still watching?’ text come up on the screen on Netflix while Charlotte is out and not being able to do anything about it is something I think about a lot. Being stuck there looking at a blank screen would be very difficult for me psychologically. 

“I’d like to be able to get in contact with people who might be able to solve problems like these that may seem small but could make a big difference.”