A former Premier League footballer diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) has opened up about the degenerative nature of his condition. Three-time Premier League player Jason Bowen, who is in his early 50s, said he was losing the use of his legs, arms and voice.
The father of three was capped twice for Wales, but retired in 2013 at the age of 40. He started a new career as a railway engineer, but his life changed forever when he was diagnosed with MND five years ago.
MND causes muscle weakness that gradually worsens over time. There is no cure for this condition, but symptoms can be managed with treatment.
Bowen opened up about the disease in 2023, but in a recent update, the former soccer player said his symptoms were getting worse. He said: “I can’t use my legs anymore and my right arm is getting a little weak. I can’t use my voice or my left arm at all.
“Some things are gradually getting worse: walking, eating. I had to stop[participating in Morello]because I found it too hard. I was getting really tired.”
It became difficult for him to even go to soccer games, so he stopped watching them. He continued, “The club has always been great and always has been. They’ve invited me to go to games, but I feel the stairs are a bit too steep, so I can’t do it anymore.”
Meanwhile, the athlete’s partner Hayley, who is now his primary carer, described the incident as “heartbreaking”. That’s especially difficult considering Hayley’s mother died from complications of MND.
“It was really scary for me. My mother only had two years to live with this disease. It was really, really bad because her disease was progressing rapidly and it had affected her from the middle of her lower back to her head. Thankfully, Jason’s disease is progressing slowly. He will be in his fifth year next month,” she said.
“It took my mom two years to get diagnosed. It took Jason a few weeks, so I think we knew what we were dealing with early on and it was easier that way. The care1773950064is completely different and there wasn’t as much care for my mom.”
“We had one MND nurse in all of Wales, but Jason has an NHS team. If we need anything, we can just pick up the phone or send an email and we’ll be there within a day to two weeks.”
