A mother was given a heartbreaking diagnosis months after she began experiencing foot pain. Judith Castillo, 54, who emigrated from the Philippines to the UK as a young woman in search of a better life, now resides in Huyton.
Judith has spent many years working as a nurse at the Royal Liverpool Hospital alongside her husband Ronald. The couple are parents to three daughters – Ria and Rica, both 19, and Rain, 26.
Judith first noticed discomfort in December 2023 and was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) a few months later.
MND is a condition that progressively weakens the muscles over a period of months or years. It’s typically life-limiting and there’s currently no known cure.
While MND can affect adults of any age, it’s most common in those over 50. Weakness in the legs and feet are often the first signs of the disease, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Rain, 26, a musician who appeared on The Voice 2022, spoke to the ECHO about her mother: “They both worked in the Royal. My mum’s the best. She took us to all of our dance shows.
“She never missed one. She never missed a dance rehearsal, even if she was on an early shift as well. She’d pick us up from school and would still sit in the studio with us after being in work and do it all over again the next day.”
The first indication that something was amiss with Judith was when she became unsteady on her feet. Rain explained: “She got diagnosed in May 2024. From December until then there were a lot of tests and we couldn’t find the answers.
“In the December, she started to have a few falls down the stairs. She worked long hours and was complaining to me about her feet being sore and being numb.
“I told her, you’re always on your feet, you don’t stop, you might have to just change your shoes. So she started changing her shoes but the numbness started to go from her toes up to the rest of her foot, to her ankle, up to her knee.
“Then it started to affect her driving. She couldn’t put her foot on the accelerator or couldn’t control it as well as she used to. Then she started walking with crutches, then it was a Zimmer frame and then we ended up installing a stair lift, all within the space of six months.”
Judith was given a life expectancy of four years after her diagnosis. The transition has been a massive adjustment for the family.
Rain cares for her mum, as well as her two sisters who are attending university and her dad who still works full-time as a nurse.
Rain said: “She wasn’t dealing with it very well because she’s used to being a nurse. I’m now the full-time carer and have got twin sisters as well. My dad still works every day. It’s very rare for people to live past five years. There’s been a complete change over the past year, which is pretty scary to be honest.”
The family chose to keep Judith’s illness private until a few weeks ago. Given she is often recognised for her work in the NHS, they have decided to organise a fundraising event on Sunday October 12 at BOXPARK Liverpool to celebrate her life.
There will be live music, dancing and raffles, with all proceeds going towards Marie Curie and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Rain revealed: “I’ve been hiding this for a year but now things have gotten worse and many people don’t know what motor neurone disease is either.
“She shouldn’t be in this position. She works so hard and came to the UK to build this life for her and her family.
“I’m a singer and the best thing I can do is to put on a show. What we’re doing right now is giving her a bit of hope, showing that there’s a lot of people behind her, people who are there to support her.
“There will be a lot of acts, a lot of dancing and good vibes. It will be everything my mum loves.”
You can find out more about the fundraiser here.