Jon Hastie
Great BritainBiography of John Hastie
John Hastie, a British man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is now 32 years old and has never been in control of his own body. Due to his illness, John describes himself as being trapped in his own body. Even the simplest and most common movements are beyond his reach - he is unable to scratch his own nose or turn his head. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the name of John's disease. He was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the age of three, and at that time, doctors made rather discouraging predictions: it was unlikely that the boy would survive into adolescence. But John survived, and today he is the oldest patient with this rare and severe disease. 'Living with this is not easy, but it doesn't mean you have to sit and wait for death,' says John.
Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Despite his illness, John Hastie lives in his own apartment in Shoreham, West Sussex. Naturally, he receives assistance from medical staff in his daily life, but no one can help him stay strong mentally. However, despite the cruel trials that nature has placed in his life, he remains resilient. His strength is such that he is capable of helping others, victims of the terrible disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy, just like him. Hastie works part-time in an organization for disabled people and is an active advocate for the rights of disabled individuals. It is known that from 1999 to 2007, he was a student at the University of Essex in Colchester, where he obtained a degree in political science and international relations, as well as a master's degree in environmental studies.
A Life Worth Living
'A Life Worth Living' is the title of a film made by John, in which he showed that life can be beautiful even for the most hopeless patients. In his film, John met several people, also affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, to varying degrees. They are all prisoners of their immobile bodies, and at the same time, they all enjoy life. John Hastie himself has no illusions about the possibility of a miraculous recovery - unfortunately, doctors predicted that he would not even live to his teenage years. Now, at the age of 32, John says that even if he has lived longer than expected, he has no regrets about any day he has lived. He is confident that his film, with its immense positive charge, will serve as great support for those who have lost hope, for those who have fallen into the clutches of diseases. 'Life is worth living,' John Hastie believes.
