‘Fit as a fiddle’ veteran PE teacher dies after contracting extremely rare disease

Richard Main spent 37 years working as a PE teacher and was “fit as a fiddle” when he was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).
CJD is a degenerative brain disorder that progresses at a rapid pace throughout the body and ultimately leads to death.
Richard, 57, died within four weeks of being admitted to hospital.
Patients usually given one to three months to live.
Richard’s son, Austin Main, is now working to raise awareness of CJD as there’s still so much unknown about the condition.
“There’s still so much room for research,” he said on 6PR Breakfast.
“My brother’s doing the Rottnest Channel swim in mid-February this year, so we’ve put together a fundraising link.
“100 per cent of the donated money goes towards either research, or these new machines which are a lot more accurate in diagnosing CJD.
Press PLAY to hear the full interview with Austin Main below.
Image: Supplied