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One of Scotland’s main champions for folks with disabilities has died 21 years after being identified with motor neuron illness (MND).
Euan MacDonald, 50, was identified with the situation that impacts the mind and nerves at age 29.
He created the distinctive Euan’s Guide, a incapacity evaluate web site and sensible telephone app for disabled folks, their households and their carers.
Along together with his father Donald, he additionally arrange an internationally-recognised centre for MND analysis at Edinburgh University.
Speaking to BBC News, Donald praised his son’s “immense bravery”.
“He at all times tried to guard his mom, and his father too about a number of the troublesome issues,” he stated. “Courage was an enormous a part of his character.
“He was wasn’t an selfish individual however I’m positive he can be pleased with what has been began.”
Inspired by one among Mr MacDonald’s personal concepts, the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND analysis established SpeakUnique – a mission that created personalised artificial voices for individuals who had misplaced their pure voice.
The centre’s director Professor Siddharthan Chandran stated Mr MacDonald can be drastically missed.
He stated: “The widespread thread that runs via these three outstanding initiatives are his braveness, selflessness, capability to galvanise and encourage folks to return collectively, to work with each other to make a distinction,” he stated.
“Euan was a rare man who, via his imaginative and prescient, advocacy and management, introduced hope and helped remodel the lives of numerous folks residing with MND and different disabilities.”
Mr MacDonald was born in Sheffield in 1974.
Shortly afterwards, his household moved to Edinburgh the place he finally enrolled at George Watson’s College earlier than shifting to Glenalmond College in Perthshire.
After learning on the universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh, he labored for funding financial institution Dresdner Kleinwort in London.
Four years after his prognosis, Mr MacDonald and his father based the Euan MacDonald Centre via a philanthropic reward.
In 2009, he was awarded an MBE within the Queen’s Birthday Honours record in recognition of his contribution to providers for folks with MND.
In 2013, Mr MacDonald, his sister, Kiki, and their father Donald created Euan’s Guide – a registered charity which made tens of 1000’s of accessible bogs safer for folks with disabilities.
Edinburgh college stated the information is a “very important useful resource” for wheelchair customers, their households, mates and carers to share their information of accessible locations throughout the UK.
Prof Sir Peter Mathieson, Edinburgh college principal and vice-chancellor, stated he was was “so unhappy to study that we’ve got misplaced the inspiring and noteworthy Euan MacDonald”.
He stated: “Euan was a rare individual whose advocacy for the MND group has helped to push the boundaries of analysis on this space.
“His impression on the college will proceed to reside on via our MND analysis and the Euan MacDonald Centre, which bears his title in tribute.”
