Born in Yorkshire in 1985, David Greaves' kindness and generosity of spirit, and his love of travel and adventure led him to make friends around the world with people from all walks of life. The stamina and strength of character demonstrated by David's achievements as an ultra-marathon runner and Iron Man triathlete were also shown by his determination to complete The Homesick Fox, and a considerable number of other stories for children while living with the cruel limitations imposed by Motor Neurone Disease (ALS), diagnosed shortly after David's thirtieth birthday in June 2015. In September 2015 David married the love of his life, Philippa, soon after which they climbed Mt Kilimanjaro together, raising over £12,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, then travelled widely in East Africa before settling in Newcastle upon Tyne. As MND progressively deprived David of the use of his hands, and then the power of speech, he finished his collection of children's books using revolutionary computer software which allowed him to communicate by tracking and translating into readable text the movement of his eyes. David Greaves passed away peacefully at home in September 2016. David's wife Philippa and his family intend to honour his outstanding gifts as a children's author by eventually publishing all David's completed works.
Here's the ITV Tyne Tees Interview with David's family about the writing of Mr Snuffles' Birthday and David's Motor Neurone diseasediagnosis:
