A POLICE officer from Bromsgrove will keep fighting crime despite being diagnosed with the life-shortening Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Dad-of-two Chris Johnson said he would also spend time raising awareness of the disease, alongside his wife Sharon.
MND affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, and slowly begins to break down the body over time.
The assistant chief constable at West Midlands Police said: “I’m so grateful because my colleagues have been really supportive and allowed me to keep working for as long as I can.
“It’s one of the things that’s really helped me the most because keeping normality in your life is so important.”
Chris said the diagnosis was ‘initially devastating’ but admitted he had a choice over how he faced it.
“You can either let it take over your life or you can battle through it by supporting some of the fantastic organisations, such as the Primrose Hospice, which help people living with the disease.”
The 52-year-old received a Queen’s Police Medal for his remarkable contribution to policing in the West Midlands at a special Birmingham ceremony last month.
Chancellor of the Exchequer and Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid paid a visit to Chris’ house in Finstall Road to congratulate him for his 29 years on the beat.
Mr Javid said: “I want to thank Chris for his incredible bravery, leadership and community spirit.”
Sharon, who has been married to Chris for 18 years, said they returned from a trip to Florida when his MND symptoms started showing.
The couple, who have two children Harry, nine, and Katie, 14, originally thought he had picked up a blood clot on the flight due to becoming breathless.
“I’m incredibly proud of him and how he has handled this situation,” said Sharon.
“It’s been so hard but we are trying to do as much as we possible can while there’s still time.”
The family are looking forward to a holiday in Greece next week.
MND can affect anyone of any age but most people diagnosed are over the age of 40.
A person’s lifetime risk of developing MND is one in 300 and currently there is no cure.
Visit www.mndassociation.org for more information or to donate towards vital MND research.
