At 31 years old, Alexandra Apalaghiei was entering the prime of her life.\u00a0Mother to a young son, living in London<\/a> after moving from Romania<\/a> in 2015, and working in the events team at a swanky five-star hotel – things were going to plan.<\/p>\n How cruel, then, that just four years later, she is on the brink of losing her ability to walk and talk after a devastating motor neurone disease (MND) diagnosis.<\/p>\n There are approximately 5,000 adults in the UK with MND, a progressive neurological condition which currently has no cure and is terminal.<\/p>\n MND can affect people at any age, but is particularly common among over 50s and is split into different disorders. The most common type, which Ms Apalaghiei was diagnosed with, is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).<\/p>\n ALS causes the nerve cells that control movement to deteriorate, leading to muscle weakness, loss of mobility, speech difficulties, muscle twitching, as well as changes in thinking and emotional responses.\u00a0<\/p>\n The disease rapidly robs patients of these functions, leaving them increasingly dependent on others for everyday tasks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Alexandra](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/05\/29\/15\/108958951-15858707-Alexandra_Apalaghiei-a-22_1780064584913.jpg\")
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