Michael Patrick, beloved Game of Thrones actor, dies in hospice after battle with motor neuron disease — What is it?

Game of Thrones actor Michael Patrick, who was in hospice care, died at the age of 35. His wife, Naomi Sheehan, shared a post on Instagram announcing the loss.

“Last night, Mick sadly passed away in the Northern Ireland Hospice. He was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease 1st February 2023. He was admitted 10 days ago and was cared for by the incredible team there. He passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Words can’t describe how broken-hearted we are,” Sheehan wrote on Instagram.

The actor and writer from Belfast was suffering from ‘motor neuron disease’ and succumbed to the terminal illness on 7 April. According to the MND Association, this disease rapidly “attacks the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work” and is incurable.

Motor neuron disease symptoms

With Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) being the most common form of the disease, early signs include weakened grip, tripping and slurred speech. As this rare neurodegenerative disorder progresses, the body often loses its mobility.

Over time, motor neurons are destroyed as this fatal disease progresses, causing muscle weakness, paralysis and severe impairment in patients. When the cells that control skeletal muscle activity are destroyed, the patient finds it difficult to speak, swallow and breathe, according to the MND Association.

However, Patrick's family didn't reveal his exact diagnosis but his pictures on Instagram shed light on his struggle.

The Irish native, who appeared in Season 6 of Game of Thrones, in his last social media post shared on 6 February, revealed that his neurologist estimated he had one year left to live.

“Health update: Basically me and @nomsheehan were in hospital for over a week there - speaking to doctors and getting tests done etc. Talking about risks and implications of getting the trache put in. What day to day life would be like after the operation,” Patrick wrote.

Further revealing that he would not undergo tracheostomy, he wrote, “My neurologist gave us the news that I likely have about 1 year left (obviously he can't say for definite and we still have hope for the drug trial to buy some more time too). So I don't want to risk a significant amount of that time being in a hospital bed.”

A look at Michael Patrick's contribution to entertainment industry

Apart from GoT, Patrick is known for his work in Blue Lights, This Town and the BBC series My Left Nut, which he co-wrote based on his teen years, as per IMDb.

In addition, he featured in six episodes of Blasts from the Past and four episodes of The Spectacular. Most recently, he was seen in the German TV movie Mordlichtern- Tod auf den Färöer Inseln, which premiered in 2025.