On 20 September 2016, Bjorn Formosa – an ALS sufferer who’s been at the forefront of raising awareness and funds to help find a cure for the debilitating condition through the foundation he set up, ALS Malta – popped the questions to his girlfriend Maria Muscat.

“I was definitely caught by surprise,” she gushes. “He had hinted at it sometime before that but at the very moment I was extremely surprised!”

“I got to know Bjorn around 12 years ago when we were both still at Junior College. However, we’ve been together as a couple for around a year,” says Maria. “Bjorn’s situation has made us grow stronger together and appreciate Bjorn’s struggles and endeavours to make life for others a little bit easier and help find a cure for ALS. In these situations, you get to discover more about the person standing by your side and about yourself, as you share all the ups and downs of the situation.”

Bjorn recently took to Facebook to make the heartfelt announcement, attracting lots of well wishes especially from those who have been following his brave and inspiring journey. “After receiving such life-changing news [about the ALS diagnosis], the last thing on your mind is to search for your soulmate. I had my chances without much luck, and now that my life had changed, the only thing I wished for was to spend my final days in total relaxation,” he wrote.

“But you don't go looking for love, it will eventually come to you, sometimes in the most unexpected situations ever. My life was coming to an end… how is it possible that I managed to find the person I was always looking for? But beautiful things will always happen, sometimes in mysterious ways and in the most difficult of situations! So 1 year later I'm back here, wishing to give it another shot at life! So I asked Maria if one day she'd be my wife…and she said YES.”

“Never give up in life, keep trying till the end, sometimes great things will happen and great people you will meet. I don't know what lies ahead, but in the meantime I'll keep dreaming that one day I'll marry the person that I love,” he concluded.

Maria says that her greatest hope is “to spend as much time with Bjorn as possible of course, and I hope that he keeps strong and never feels frightened or alone. I also hope that ALS Malta keeps growing as a foundation so that it keeps being of service to those suffering from this condition and also that a treatment is found to stop the progress of this condition. Of course, our dream and hope is that we may be of help in finding a cure for this devastating disease.”