To most of those who knew him Paul (a Husband, Father and Grandpa) was a quiet and private, yet confident and articulate academic, well respected by colleagues and contacts. To us, his family, he was an active and fiercely proud man with a quirky sense of humour and many interests, experiences and talents.

It has been devastating for us to see him having to fight a cruel degenerative neurological disease (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy or PSP) over the past few years, but it is comforting to remember the man he was with fondness and to know he is no longer having to suffer.

Whilst we want this page to be a place for positive memories, we feel so strongly that our father could have received much better care and his final years could have been made much more bearable if there was better understanding of this cruel condition. There appears to be very little knowledge and understanding of PSP in general medical practice, let alone amongst the general public.

As a result, we are very keen to raise awareness and funds to support PSP research so that hopefully in time other people do not have to go through the suffering that our father and those close to him did.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rare neurological condition caused by the premature loss of nerve cells in parts of the brain resulting in problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing. This is caused by a build-up of a protein in the brain called tau. It mainly occurs in people over 60.

There's currently no cure for PSP, but research is continuing into new treatments that aim to relieve symptoms and slow down the progression of the condition.

Common symptoms are:
- problems with balance and mobility, including frequent falls
- behavioural changes
- muscle stiffness
- an inability to control eye and eyelid movement
- slow, quiet or slurred speech
- difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- slowness of thought and memory problems
- bladder and bowel problems
- fatigue and sleep
- pain