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WATCH: Helpless Maltese People Are Sometimes Left In Bed All Day Until Someone Returns Home

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People suffering from neurological conditions are in some cases being left alone in bed all day, unable to move, until a family member returns from work, ALS activist Bjorn Formosa has revealed.

“We are seeing cases of people with MS and ALS who are being left at home all day long while their husband goes to work, literally unable to move, waiting for someone to come home to help them,” Formosa said during an appearance on Lovin Daily.

“The situation is very worrying, but we are trying to tackle these problems, and the quicker we open Dar Bjorn 2, the quicker we would have made a step forward,” he said.

Formosa, who battles ALS himself, and his team at ALS Malta, are currently trying to reach their €5 million target to build Dar Bjorn 2, a home for patients with neurodegenerative conditions.

They’ve raised €3 million so far – and they are working hard to host a major national marathon on the 27th September to try and hit their final target.

Formosa emphasised just how many people need this kind of help in 2020. 

“The first Dar Bjorn only features 13 beds and as soon as one is available, we face a huge demand; it’s becoming impossible, and sometimes we’re forced to tell people that we can’t help them,” he said. “It’s a bit of a headache – the waiting list has surpassed 70 people, and those are just the ones contacting us… there are probably even more people and we have limited space.”

And as for Bjorn, who is dedicating his every waking moment to this project, he is keenly aware of his own personal condition, saying: “I’m hanging by a thread and I don’t know when it might snap”.

“We aren’t doing this as a hobby – this is a necessity that Malta needs. And with this project, we will be able to help so many more people.”

https://www.facebook.com/191186828105464/videos/266202301466234/

Dar Bjorn 2 in Żebbuġ , which is set to be finished by 2022, will be fitted out with the latest in hi-tech assistance for people living with neurodegenerative diseases where they’ll be given 24/7 care, free of charge, over seven floors.

You can donate to ALS Malta by calling or smsing the following numbers:

Call 51002017 €20
Call 51902075 €50
SMS 50618936 €6.99
SMS 50619271 €11.65

Tune in on 27th September on all major Maltese television channels to support and donate to such an inspirational cause.

Were you aware of the serious challenges Malta’s neurodegenerative patients face? Let us know in the comments below

READ NEXT: ‘I Helped A Visually Impaired Person Buy A Home And Ended Up Mocked On Maltese Social Media’

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]

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