A Tayside man’s campaign to raise awareness of the life-threatening disease he suffers from has captured the attention of the country’s health secretary.
For two years Arbroath man Keith Swankie has been living with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a condition, which affects only an estimated 10,000 people in the UK.
PSP gradually erodes the sufferer’s standard of life through loss of speech, mobility and a number of other symptoms, including emotional instability and balance problems.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Alex Neil has now requested to meet the father of two to talk about his illness.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Mr Neil takes the concerns of Mr Swankie and other people living with progressive supranuclear palsy very seriously.
“By meeting with Mr Swankie, Mr Neil will be able to find out more first-hand about this debilitating condition.”
Keith said he was delighted Mr Neil has made contact and hopes the discussions can leave a legacy that will improve the lives of other sufferers.
He said: “Out of the blue I got an email from Mr Neil’s personal secretary saying that she believed that I was looking to meet with Mr Neil to discuss the condition and experiences of PSP suffers.
“I am delighted at last that I can put the facts across to him, face-to- face, to hopefully make a difference for the future, which has been one of my main aims.
“I now have the opportunity to hopefully make a difference for future sufferers.”