Game of Thrones<\/em><\/a> actor Michael Patrick<\/strong> spoke candidly about his battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND)<\/a> prior to his death<\/a> at age 35.<\/p>\n Michael\u2019s death<\/a> was announced via Instagram<\/a> on April 8, 2026, by his wife Naomi Sheehan<\/strong>, who shared that her husband \u2014 whom she affectionately called \u201cMick\u201d \u2014 had succumbed to the neurodegenerative disease after 10 days in a Belfast, Northern Ireland, hospice care center. (Per the Mayo Clinic<\/a>, MND impacts the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and gradually weakens the muscles controlling speech, swallowing and limb movement.)<\/p>\n \u201c[Mick] was admitted [to hospice] 10 days ago and was cared for by the incredible team there. He passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Words can\u2019t describe how broken-hearted we are,\u201d Sheehan wrote.<\/p>\n Patrick was both an actor and a playwright who appeared in a Game of Thrones<\/em> season 6 episode as a Wildling. He also used his own battle with MND as inspiration for his hit play My Right Foot<\/em>, which examined how he coped with being diagnosed with the same disease that killed his father.<\/p>\n Keep scrolling for more about what Patrick said about his diagnosis.<\/p>\n Michael Patrick explained on the \u201cBrain and Life\u201d podcast<\/a> in January 2026 that he first wondered whether something was amiss while performing in a play at the Dublin Fringe festival in late 2022.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to dance in it and I kept falling over, tripping on my shoes,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI kept blaming my shoes, kept saying, \u2018Why have they got me dancing in these big chunky shoes? It\u2019s not fair.\u2019 But it didn\u2019t get better.\u201d<\/p>\n Michael was advised by his wife\u2019s aunt to get himself checked out because of his family\u2019s history with MND. By the time Michael saw his doctors, he could no longer \u201clift [his] right foot\u201d and \u201ccouldn\u2019t point [his] toes to the ceiling.\u201d<\/p>\n He was officially diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in February 2023.<\/p>\n The This Town<\/em> actor looked back on his initial response to the diagnosis while speaking to RTE<\/a> in August 2025. Michael Patrick naturally wondered how long he would realistically have to live since his father previously died of MND.<\/p>\n \u201cMy dad was diagnosed in February and he died that October,\u201d Michael recalled. \u201cThere wasn\u2019t much time with him. I\u2019m thinking, \u2018Am I gonna [die] in October?\u2019 Thankfully, I haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n He shared on the \u201cBrain and Life\u201d podcast that his family \u201cseems to be the only one in Ireland with the gene\u201d for a rare form of MND.<\/p>\n \u201cI have the FUS MND familial inherited version of four genes that are known to cause MND and familial MND. One\u2019s the FUS gene,\u201d he explained. \u201cI think it\u2019s one of the rarer of the four.\u201d<\/p>\n In September 2023, Michael Patrick was accepted into a drug trial for a potential treatment for MND. The initial results were promising as he \u201csaw the first reversal of symptoms\u201d within weeks of starting the trial.<\/p>\n \u201cI can now wiggle my right foot [and] toes for the first time in about two years. It\u2019s small,\u201d he told the \u201cBrain and Life\u201d podcast in January 2026. \u201cAnd my breathing\u2019s still going unless I get a tracheotomy, and my arm\u2019s still getting weaker, but fact is there is some reversal there, which is really exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n He praised the \u201clevel of care you get and support\u201d he\u2019d received from his medical team since beginning the trial.<\/p>\nMichael Patrick Noticed Increasingly Scary Symptoms<\/h2>\n
Michael Patrick\u2019s Father Died from MND<\/h2>\n
Michael Patrick Took Part in Clinical Drug Trials<\/h2>\n
Michael Patrick\u2019s Friends and Family Rallied to Support Him<\/h2>\n
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