What is MND? Explaining the Game of Thrones Character’s Illness

Game of Thrones actor Michael Patrick died at age 35 following a three-year battle with an incurable neurodegenerative disease.

The actor and playwright – who was known as “Mick” to his friends and family – appeared in memory Game of Thrones season 6 episode as Wildling and starring in British sports This city again My Left Nut.

Patrick was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in February 2023 after developing balance and gait problems while playing sports. Sadly, he had a family history of MND as his father also died from the condition.

After a drug test, his wife, Naomi Sheehanconfirmed via Instagram on April 8, 2026, that Patrick died 10 days later in a hospice in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Keep scrolling for more information about MND diagnosis and Patrick.

What is Motor Neurone Disease?

The Mayo Clinic describes motor neurone disease – also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease – as a neurodegenerative condition that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

“This disease leads to muscle weakness and gets worse over time,” said the clinic.

Those with MND gradually lose muscle control over their speech, swallowing and limbs.

What Are the Symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease?

The Mayo Clinic specifies “muscle jerking and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing, or slurred speech” as early signs of MND. Eventually, the patient has increasing difficulty speaking and swallowing and loses control of his limbs.

In the case of Michael Patrick, he first experienced symptoms while performing at the Dublin Fringe in late 2022.

“I had to dance in it and I kept falling, tripping over my shoes,” she told the “Brain and Life” podcast in January 2026. “I kept blaming my shoes, I kept saying, ‘Why did they make me dance in these big shoes? It’s not right.’ But it didn’t get better.”

Patrick was advised to see a doctor by a relative. By the time he was diagnosed with MND in February 2023, he had lost the ability to “lift [his] right foot” and “couldn’t point [his] toes on the roof.”

Can Motor Neurone Disease Run in Families?

According to the MND Association, “inherited MND affects around 1 in 10” people with the disease.

“If you have a family history of MND, it doesn’t mean you will definitely get the condition, as other risk factors are often required for MND to develop,” says the MND Association. “You may also hear inherited MND called familial or hereditary MND.”

In Michael Patrick’s case, his father died of MND within months of his diagnosis. Michael admitted to RTE in August 2025 that he initially worried he would meet the same fate.

“My father was diagnosed in February and died that October,” Michael recalled. “There wasn’t much time with him. I’m thinking, ‘Am I going to be with him [die] in October?’ Thank you, I never.”

Michael suggested on the “Brain and Life” podcast that his family “appears to be the only ones in Ireland with a gene” for the rare form of MND.

“I have the familial FUS MND gene of the four genes known to cause MND and familial MND. The other is the FUS gene,” he noted. “I think it’s one of the rarest of the four.”

Is Motor Neurone Disease Chronic?

There is no cure for motor neurone disease but research into possible treatments is currently underway.

Michael Patrick was able to enter a clinical drug trial for a possible treatment and saw “initial improvement in symptoms” within weeks.

“I can now move my right foot [and] toes for the first time in almost two years. It’s a little bit,” he told the “Brain and Life” podcast in January 2026. “And my breathing is still going without having to get a tracheotomy, and my arm is still getting weaker, but the truth is there’s some regression there, which is really exciting.”

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As people living with MND gradually lose the ability to speak and breathe freely, some choose to have a tracheostomy, where a tube is surgically inserted into the throat to open the airway.

Patrick considered doing a tracheostomy. He ultimately chose not to go ahead with the procedure in February 2026 after being given one year to live by his neurologist.

“In short, I am not continuing with tracheostomy,” he confirmed on Instagram in February 2026. “I was sure that it would be 6-12 months before I got home because of the lack of resources. I am very grateful to everyone who helped push this – from the main social workers, politicians, to the head of the hospital. Everyone tried very hard, but the staff is not there.”