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Charles Anderson, the Motor Neurone Disease sufferer from Hertfordshire whose unique audio diaries captured the hearts of the Three Counties, died on Friday 31 May, aged 46.

Each week he talked frankly about how he first came to discover he was ill, the day to day difficulties he had to face, how he managed to keep his spirits up and how he did all this while still being a loving husband and father to four children - Emily, Charlotte, Ella and Alistair.

Charles Anderson travelled across the world when he was serving in the armed forces and was one of the top skiers in this country but in July 2000 ago he was diagnosed with having MND. His father died from MND at the age of 32.

Sarah Anderson reads this week's instalment

Read Charles' final diary, which he wrote especially for transmission after his death >>

The plight of Diane Pretty and her legal battle to win the right to die has brought MND into the public conscience but little is known about the disease.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is the name given to a group of related diseases affecting the motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurones are the nerve cells along which the brain sends instructions, in the form of electrical impulses, to the muscles. For more information you can visit: www.mnda.org.uk

The diary is both poignant and humorous and is proving to be an incredible insight into the life of a Motor Neurone Disease sufferer.

Charles died at his home on Thursday 30th May, but before he died he recorded a final diary which will be broadcast soon. You can leave a message of condolence for Charles here.

The audio diary will require RealPlayer. Get RealPlayer FREE here.
Read Charles' final diary, which he wrote especially for transmission after his death >>

In the first instalment he talks about how he was first diagnosed as suffering from MND.

diagnosis 1 | diagnosis 2

In the second part of Charles' audio diary he talks about how he and his family have been forced to make adjustments to their family life.

family life 1 | family life 2

Charles Anderson has only been given a few months to live, but in this exclusive segment for the web he talks about all the women in his life and how he came to meet and fall in love with his wife.

Exclusive to the web:
the women in his life

Charles talks about the preparations he's been making in the run up to Christmas.

Christmas preparations

In the fourth part of this exclusive audio diary, Charles Anderson talks about his mixed feelings at the approach of the New Year.

New Year

In the fifth part of Charles' diary, Charles talks about how humbled he is by all the messages of support he's received from people who've heard the diary and how a shopping experience in Stevenage went horribly wrong.

Lost In Stevenage 1 | Lost In Stevenage 2

In the sixth part of Charles' diary, he talks about the men who have shaped his life.

Friends

Charles talks about his four children - Emily, Charlotte, Alistair and Ella - and an art exhibition he held which featured photographs he'd taken from around the world.

Art Exhibition

More about photographic exhibition >>

In this chapter he talks about how young people are too desperate to grow up and how his disability has given him a new found love for the cinema - but that it comes at a price.

Cinema

Charles talks about his continued struggle with the authorities over funding to enable him to receive care at home and the joy his young children bring to him.

Battle | Young children

Here Charles explains the effect the disease has on his sleeping arrangements and how his body has deteriorated since the middle of December.

Bedtime

Here Charles talks about the medical side of the disease and how he avoids hospitals because they are for sick people - and he is not sick, but ill.

Medical Side

In the twelfth instalment, Charles describes how his mood swings are increasing as the illness takes hold, and how he tries to avoid taking painkillers as often as he can.

Mood Swings

Charles talks about how he refuses to lie down all day and let the illness kill him without putting up a fight - even if that means he is constantly tired, exhausted and irritable.

As Charles' illness has progressed his voice is deteriorating and you may find it difficult to hear everything he says - but you can read a full transcript here

Working too hard

Charles talks about how he is refusing to take oral morphine at night because he views it as the drug that people take just before they die - he says at the moment he'd rather just not sleep.
You can read a full transcript here

Painkillers

Charles talks about his preparations for Easter and his continued love affair with his lawn.
You can read a full transcript here

Easter preparations

Charles talks about how his teenage daughter has turned to him for advice on her love life and about a memorable trip to see Alf Garnett at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage. Read the transcript

Easter Week

Charles's condition has deteriorated over the last couple of weeks and he has now reached the position where he does not feel able to continue in his broadcasts so this will be the last diary voiced by him. In it he talks about how he is coping with what he sees as his loss of dignity and exclusively to this site he introduces his wife, Sarah. Sarah will record one more diary on behalf of Charles next week and we will of course keep you updated on his progress. Read the transcript

Dignity

Charles's condition has deteriorated over the last couple of weeks and he has now reached the position where he does not feel able to continue in his broadcasts so this will be the last diary voiced by him. In it he talks about how he is coping with what he sees as his loss of dignity and exclusively to this site he introduces his wife, Sarah. Sarah will record one more diary on behalf of Charles next week and we will of course keep you updated on his progress

New Carer

Last week Charles Anderson recorded his last diary for us here at BBC Three Counties Radio. Motor Neurone Disease has now taken such a hold of him that the muscles in his face have deteriorated to such an extent he is no longer able to continue recording the diaries.

However, his wife Sarah, has undertaken to continue updating you with Charles' progress over the next couple of weeks. This week she talks about their search for a new carer and some mumbo jumbo reflexology Charles had on his feet.

Charles and Sarah's final Broadcast

Unfortunately, this will be the last broadcast from Charles and Sarah, who has decided that as Charles enters his last few weeks she wants to spend as much time as she can caring for her husband and their children.

Final Chapter
Charles wrote a final diary which he wanted broadcast after his death. In it he explains how a serious chest infection he caught mid-May sent him downhill, but, in typical Charles style, he also demonstrates how he was able to enjoy parts of his life right up until a few days before he died. Here, BBC Three Counties Radio's Editor, Mark Norman, reads Charles' words.

Charles died at his home on Friday 31 May. You can leave a message of condolence for Charles here.

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