A Leeds dad diagnosed with Parkinson's at 21 says a positive outlook has allowed him to overcome the disease and raise his daughter.
John Granahan, 51, from Leeds, first showed symptoms of the debilitating disease when he experienced unintended and uncontrollable movements as a teenager. But, he refused to let it stop him living life to the fullest.
30 years later the dad-of-one was diagnosed. The computer technician at Leeds University now wants to show other people how they can also live life to the fullest.
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John said: "The first memory I ever have of my Parkinson’s is when I was 13 in English class. I’ll never forget it. I put my foot on the floor and started shaking and I couldn’t stop it.
"Gradually it got worse and worse and when I left school at 16 to start an electrical apprenticeship it really started getting noticeable. I remember going to see doctors when I was 16, 17, 18 and they would say to me, ‘Stop drinking and smoking and you’ll be fine’.
“I was diagnosed in February 1993 and it was the happiest day of my life - honest to God. Because I knew there was something not right."
John struggled to come to terms with the diagnosis initially, only going outside at night. But, aged 23, he decided to embrace life, and he has since gone on to enjoy a 25-year career in IT, raise his daughter Olivia, 13, and get into extreme sports like jet-skiing and parasailing.
John said: “People are very surprised when they hear I was diagnosed so young. The main reaction I get is, ‘But that’s an old person’s disease?’ People still assume I’m drunk or on drugs and people see you and make an instant judgment.
“I was in the supermarket not so long ago and this kid – and you can’t blame a kid – said to his mum, ‘What’s he on?’ You do get a lot of disgusting looks and snide comments but it is what it is and once I accepted myself it made it a lot easier.”
John works at the University of Leeds and is single father to his daughter Olivia, whose mother Adele died seven years ago. He said: “I worry more about what people say to Olivia than what they say to me. She’s very defensive and really protective of me.
“When we go out she says to me, ‘If someone says something to you, I’ll do something’. But the kids that know anything about Parkinson’s are actually very accepting of it.
“There are things I can’t do as a dad because of my Parkinson’s and it is quite hard on her when I’m bad. I had a blood clot in 2019 and had to learn to walk again and my speech goes from time to time, I fall over a lot and she often picks me up.
“But I love her to pieces and she’s my world. I need work because it gives me a routine. The thing with Parkinson’s is if you shut down and do nothing it’s the worst thing to do.
“You have to keep busy exercising and keep yourself active because if you don’t you freeze up. I don’t like to be left out. I drive 4x4s, I go paintballing. All my mates know what I’m like. I’ll give anything a go.
“I’d love to do a parachute jump. I reckon if I can shake myself out of the plane I’ll be alright. Last year I was on holiday in Gran Canaria with my daughter and we went on a boat trip. They said I could do jet-skiing so we did that and then I came off, and then we did some parasailing.
“I started to think ‘oh my ribs are hurting’ and then two hours later I could hardly move. It was the most uncomfortable flight home I’ve ever had in my life.
“When I got back people at work told me ‘John, what were you doing on a jet ski?’ But why shouldn’t I? Just because I have Parkinson’s I’m not allowed to do stuff?
“I mean I’d love to do a parachute jump and I don’t see why people say I can’t do stuff. I’m able, it might take me a bit longer, I might shake about when I’m doing it and I may look a fool but I’ll still do it. You get some right looks when you’re doing stuff and I’m like ‘why not? It’s brilliant’.”
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