By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 04:12 EST, 10 August 2011 . A disabled man who starred in an emotional TV documentary about his rare illness has been found dead after driving his electric wheelchair into a lake. Brave Stuart Wickison, who was diagnosed with degenerative Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged three, was spotted by a child at Shinewater Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex. The 23-year-old, who starred in the 2007 Channel Five documentary Extraordinary People: The Boy Who Will Never Grow Old, had an illness which meant his body's muscles were slowly shutting down. Stuart Wickison died after crashing his electric wheelchair into a lake . Mr Wickison had began using a wheelchair aged 14 and had starred in the programme which focussed on how he dealt with the condition which only affects males. He needed 24-hour care at Shinewater Court in Eastbourne, and had told in the programme how he 'knew he would die some time soon'. In the programme, Stuart said: 'Of course, I go through moments of great bleakness and darkness when I think about what lies ahead, but I try not to dwell on it for too long otherwise I would go mad. 'I know that I will die some time soon, and that before I die I will be very ill - possibly paralysed and in pain.' He added: 'The issue of my death seems much more real and it is not a pleasant prospect. 'Instead, I think about how I want to live in the time I have left. I want to make my mark, to have achieved something. I have my art, my music and have just started at university. Stuart, who suffered with muscular dystrophy, drove his wheelchair into a lake at Shinewater Park, Eastbourne . 'These are all things that I take great pride in and that make my quality of life so much better than if I just gave up, sat in a corner and waited to die.' A spokesman for the Shinewater centre said: 'Stuart was a highly intelligent and artistic young man who will sorely be missed by all.' The Disabilities Trust, which runs the centre, added: 'We are all devastated by Stuart's death. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.' A Sussex police spokesman said: Stuart Wickison, a 23-year-old man from Milfoil Drive, Eastbourne, was found in Shinewater Park, Eastbourne, last Tuesday. 'Police are not treating the death as suspicious. An inquest will be opened and adjourned within the next week.' Mr Wickison's parents, David and Mandy Wickison, were unavailable for comment.
Tragic Stuart Wickison had rare illness which shut down his muscles .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 04:12 EST, 10 August 2011 . A disabled man who starred in an emotional TV documentary about his rare illness has been found dead after driving his electric wheelchair into a lake. Brave Stuart Wickison, who was diagnosed with degenerative Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged three, was spotted by a child at Shinewater Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex. The 23-year-old, who starred in the 2007 Channel Five documentary Extraordinary People: The Boy Who Will Never Grow Old, had an illness which meant his body's muscles were slowly shutting down. Stuart Wickison died after crashing his electric wheelchair into a lake . Mr Wickison had began using a wheelchair aged 14 and had starred in the programme which focussed on how he dealt with the condition which only affects males. He needed 24-hour care at Shinewater Court in Eastbourne, and had told in the programme how he 'knew he would die some time soon'. In the programme, Stuart said: 'Of course, I go through moments of great bleakness and darkness when I think about what lies ahead, but I try not to dwell on it for too long otherwise I would go mad. 'I know that I will die some time soon, and that before I die I will be very ill - possibly paralysed and in pain.' He added: 'The issue of my death seems much more real and it is not a pleasant prospect. 'Instead, I think about how I want to live in the time I have left. I want to make my mark, to have achieved something. I have my art, my music and have just started at university. Stuart, who suffered with muscular dystrophy, drove his wheelchair into a lake at Shinewater Park, Eastbourne . 'These are all things that I take great pride in and that make my quality of life so much better than if I just gave up, sat in a corner and waited to die.' A spokesman for the Shinewater centre said: 'Stuart was a highly intelligent and artistic young man who will sorely be missed by all.' The Disabilities Trust, which runs the centre, added: 'We are all devastated by Stuart's death. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.' A Sussex police spokesman said: Stuart Wickison, a 23-year-old man from Milfoil Drive, Eastbourne, was found in Shinewater Park, Eastbourne, last Tuesday. 'Police are not treating the death as suspicious. An inquest will be opened and adjourned within the next week.' Mr Wickison's parents, David and Mandy Wickison, were unavailable for comment.
emotional TV documentary about his rare illness shutting down. Stuart Wickison died after