TD ‘will not surrender’ to disease

Fine Gael TD Nicky McFadden said she was “shocked and distressed” following her diagnosis with motor neurone disease, but vowed it would be “business as usual” as far as her work was concerned.

The first-time TD and mother of two described how she began noticing problems with her speech last November and initially thought it was a problem with her vocal cords.

“I noticed having to slow down my speech in order to avoid slurring my words,” she said.