Obituary: Hockley carer Keith was brave throughout his battle with MND

Which made him the “perfect patient”, according to his beloved son Paul, after he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

Keith, who lived in Hockley, sadly passed away in February this year, three years after his diagnosis.

“My dad was a family man, being around his family made him happy. He had nine grandchildren and a great grandchild and loved them all so much,” said Paul.

“He never complained or was bitter about the disease. He said he’d had a good life and would think about the people it affected when they were young, who had young kids, rather than dwell on himself.”

Caring nature - Keith Dunt (Image: Paul Dunt)

Born in Feltham, West London in 1937, Keith and his wife Pam lived in Barking then settled in Hockley in 1969.

They had four children, the oldest Paul, Julie, Mark and Kerry.

“My memories of dad were him making sure we all got to our clubs whether it was Scouts or Brownies. I even remember him having to eat his dinner in the car while ferrying us kids about,” laughed Paul.

“I had a happy childhood, it was quiet in Hockley and we had lots of woods to explore.”

Keith was 85 when he died and found out a few years earlier during lockdown that he had MND.

“It was difficult because dad was diagnosed over the phone and we could not see him, so that was hard,” said Paul.

“There is not a test to diagnose MND and they test for everything else to eliminate different things and then if nothing come back they conclude it is MND.”

Positive things came out of the tragedy and last year 12-year-old grandson Harry and Paul cycled from London to Birmingham and raised more than £900 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

“It was Harry's idea to raise some money and encourage awareness about the disease and he was determined to cycle the 160 miles to Birmingham along the Grand Union Canal, even after he fell in!"

“I think most people have the impression MND is a condition that affects people younger in life and there have been many recent cases - such as the former rugby player Rob Burrow who discovered he had MND in his late 30s,” said Paul.

“In fact most people diagnosed with the disease are aged between 50 and 70 and my Dad was in his early 80s. It remains a rare disease, around 5,000 people in the UK are currently living with MND.”

Keith lost mobility in his left hand and arm and later his neck and muscles around his neck.

“His neck muscles went, and his head would fall slope on chest. It sounds small but it is hard when you can’t look someone in the eye. There are neck collars you can wear but they are uncomfortable.

“It is a strange disease, MND publishes a magazine called ThumbPrint, it is named that because all MND sufferers experience symptoms unique to them.”

Keith was a skilled draftsman by trade and did drawings of the machinery at Ford and other engineering firms.

I’m his late 50s there were redundancies at work and he became a carer at the former Eastwood Lodge in Rayleigh.

“I think in a different era he would have been a nurse. His mum in law had dementia and he cared for her and went on to become a carer. Not everyone could be a carer, especially if it’s not for your own family, but he was fine about it.”

When it was his turn to be cared for Keith embraced it.

“He was never bitter about having to be cared for, he knew the value in it. When it was his turn to be cared for he was happy and most of this was done by his wife Pam, who cared for him tirelessly throughout his illness. Every carer who came in to see him said he was the best patient.”

Keith passed away surrounded by his loving family.

“All of us siblings and family got to visit and say our goodbyes. We were with him when he passed away peacefully.”

Keith Dunt’s funeral is on Friday 17th March in Basildon. To donate to Motor Neurone Disease Association see www. mndassociation.org/get-involved/donations/.