The family of former England rugby captain Lewis Moody has spoken publicly about the emotional impact of his motor neurone disease diagnosis.
Their comments come in a new TNT Sports documentary titled Lewis Moody vs MND.
Moody, a World Cup winner, revealed his condition last year after noticing weakness in his shoulder while exercising.
MND is an incurable neurological condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and paralysis.
Sons Dylan and Ethan Share Their Perspectives
His 18-year-old son Dylan, a professional goalkeeper with Southampton, recalled competing in the Under-17s World Cup for England shortly after learning about his father's diagnosis.
"A month after your diagnosis, I had the World Cup, that was probably the best experience in football I’ve had," Dylan said.
Dylan explained that being abroad made him reflect on his family's situation back home.
"Just three weeks abroad in the heat playing at a World Cup for your country with all your mates.
But the diagnosis makes you think more about what you’re missing at home," he said.
The teenager added that the ongoing situation at home serves as motivation in his daily athletic career.
"I don’t know what I’ll return home to. I just tried to make the most of it while I’m away.
Every day was the hardest I’ve ever trained," Dylan said.
Dylan drew parallels between his own international career and his father's past sporting achievements.
"I was in an England shirt like you were, so it felt similar.
I’d rather it be on my mind than it not be because it helps me day-to-day, having something to drive me," he said.
His 16-year-old brother Ethan, who plays in Bath's youth academy, also expressed his concerns regarding their family's future.
"Sport helps because you can just let all your anger out, especially in rugby," Ethan said.
Ethan acknowledged that physical contact in sports provides an outlet for his emotions.
"It probably doesn’t sound great but you can hurt somebody," he said.
Wife Annie Describes the Challenges Ahead
Lewis Moody's wife Annie detailed the physical and mental demands facing the family as his condition progresses.
"I see change all the time, your shape or your fasciculations," Annie said.
She noted the increasing support her husband will require as the illness advances.
"I think mentally it will be very hard for you.
Physically it will be hard for me, because I’ll have to physically support you as well as mentally," she said.
Annie described the fear associated with the progressive loss of bodily control caused by MND.
"It’s scary. We’re scared.
I know it’ll be really hard. Hard for Lewis, he’s going to be trapped in his own body and that’s terrifying," she said.
She expressed her deep distress over the situation facing her husband and family.
"That’s so upsetting," Annie said.
Moody addressed whether his professional rugby career played a direct role in triggering his neurological diagnosis.
"One of the questions that someone asked me recently was, ‘You must be devastated that rugby’s put you in this position?’"
he said.
He noted his initial confusion regarding the assertion before seeking clarification from medical specialists.
"I was like, ‘Is he meaning motor neurone disease?'’
I was just baffled by it, but it made me ask the questions of the specialists, ‘Is that the reason I am here?’"
he said.
The former Leicester Tigers player directly questioned health professionals regarding the potential links to his playing days.
"I literally asked that direct question. And he said: ‘Rugby isn’t the reason you have MND," Moody said.
Specialists informed him that a combination of factors contributes to the onset of the disease.
"There are a number of things that come together, coincidentally or not, that you are more predetermined or disposed to than anyone else.
It might be genetic. It might be lifestyle," he said.
The former international player stated that the professional medical guidance brought him reassurance.
"I suppose it was a relief in many ways because I was almost angry at the person for asking that question," he said.
Moody confirmed that the exchange prompted him to maintain regular check-ups with medical specialists.
"But it made me question it more and make sure that I checked in with the specialist," he said.
The UK currently has around 5,000 adults living with MND, a complex condition influenced by genetics, environment, and age-related cellular factors.
