'Like Michael J Fox, I won't surrender to Parkinson's — and I've already defied the odds'

'Like Michael J Fox, I won't surrender to Parkinson's — and I've already defied the odds' John Granahan, a dad from Leeds, was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's at the age of 20 and has been defying doctors' predictions for more than 30 years A father living with Parkinson's has said - like Michael J Fox - he will "not surrender" to the condition. John Granahan, 54, received his Parkinson's diagnosis at 20 after initially spotting symptoms aged just 13. Four decades later, John continues to work while bringing up his 16-year-old daughter as a lone parent. But he describes the previous 12 to 14 months as "horrid", with his condition making walking progressively harder and leaving him anxious about venturing outside. John has experienced numerous falls, including two in a single day recently, and spent three weeks hospitalised after collapsing and being unable to stand. The IT technician, from Leeds, said: "The last 12 to 14 months is horrid. I feel so isolated and struggling to get around. I am scared in my own home. Walking is so bad. You are terrified to go out but you are terrified to stay in." John owns a walking frame but has consistently refused to use a wheelchair, explaining he wishes to maintain what little independence remains. He said: "I have a tiny bit of independence left and I want that stubbornness. "I want to keep up, it's not going to beat me. I won't surrender to it." John's comments come after Hollywood icon Michael J Fox's touching address at the Emmys, where he discussed his experience with Parkinson's. Fox, who received his diagnosis aged 29 in 1991, said accepting Parkinson's did not mean he had to "surrender to it". Accepting the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, he said: "I understood that accepting Parkinson's didn't mean I had to surrender to it. It just meant I had to do everything I could for everyone living with this disease." John revealed he could identify with Fox's experience and commended him for championing awareness of the condition. He said: "I was diagnosed before him and people didn't believe me when I said I had Parkinson's, and when he came out about it, people then said to me, 'Oh, that's what Michael J Fox has.'. He's been the best ambassador for people with Parkinson's." Parkinson's disease is a condition where parts of the brain become damaged over several years. Symptoms can include involuntary shaking of body parts, slow movement as well as stiff and inflexible muscles. There is no known cure for Parkinson's, though there are treatments to help alleviate the main symptoms. Most people develop symptoms over the age of 50, though some people first experience symptoms when they are under 40, according to the NHS. John's own diagnosis followed years of medical professionals attributing his tremors to excessive caffeine consumption. He initially observed his leg trembling uncontrollably during an English class at 13, but was told he was simply consuming too much tea. Eventually diagnosed with Parkinson's at 20, doctors subsequently warned him he'd be wheelchair-bound by 25. John said: "I told them, 'No I won't.'". He said remaining active and determined is now crucial, as yielding to the condition would mean sacrificing the independence he's battled to preserve. John said: "The thing is with it is not just external. The worst thing for Parkinson's is stress and the way you feel. It makes your condition worse. "You have to be determined - your motorways are being cut off - you have to stay motivated and it's not easy. Even walking through a doorway can become a difficult task because I have to concentrate on how I will get through without falling. "Imagine every time you go somewhere you are constantly looking at your environment. A normal person walks through a doorway but I am looking at the gap and how I get through without shuffling so much I fall." Sudden distractions can also throw him off balance. He said: "If someone shouts or a siren goes off because my attention has gone off of walking and I fall, it's really scary." Yet despite these daily struggles, John says he is not seeking sympathy, but rather wants people to truly understand what living with Parkinson's involves. He said: "I'm not looking for sympathy. I just want people to know what it's like to have it. "You are never relaxing and you're constantly aware of your surroundings. I just find ways around things. "Never give up, that's my motto."