An engineer from Wymondham died with a rare neurological disorder shared with an a-list celebrity.
John Prentice, of Albini Way, died earlier this month at the Priscilla Bacon Lodge in Colney on February 8.
At an inquest opening into the 73-year-old's death, Norfolk Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Prentice had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS).
This is a rare neurological disorder with features of an autoimmune disease.
Awareness surrounding the little-known condition has been raised following an announcement by Celine Dion.
The French-Canadian singer told her 5.2m Instagram followers in December 2022 that she has been diagnosed with SPS.
At the Norwich court, based at County Hall, area coroner Yvonne Blake confirmed on February 19 that Mr Prentice’s primary medical cause of death was aspiration pneumonia.
He also had mesothelioma and type 2 diabetes.
Mr Prentice was born in Norwich on March 8, 1950.
A full inquest to determine his official cause of death will take place later in the year on August 22.
- To pay tribute to a loved one, email norfolkobituaries@newsquest.co.uk
- To read all obituaries and tributes join the Facebook group Norfolk's Loved & Lost.
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