WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Alan Deacon has been living at Harris Hill Nursing Facility since 2022. He and his wife own Phoenix Rising Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation, a horse rescue. They currently have 15 horses.

“Allowing me to paint has been very spiritual. It’s allowed me to be relevant again," Alan Deacon said.

What You Need To Know

  • March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month

  • Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a condition where one’s immune system attacks its body causing communication issues and eventually causes permanent damage to the nerves

  • The National Multiple Sclerosis Society says nearly one million people are living with MS in the United States

Painting is not a simple feat for Alan. He paints with a brush attached to a baseball cap. Why? Alan received his diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2005 and has since lost mobility in his arms and legs. 

"So I’m special. I don’t have to walk the dogs anymore and I get all the good parking. I will say I became a burden to my family fairly quick. Nobody wants to be a burden, that’s why I started painting, mostly because I love it," Deacon said.

He says the painting also helps him support his wife. Alan moves around, his chin guiding his chair gifted to him by his church, and he puts watercolor on the canvas. As his condition has progressed he’s been through many phases, including depression. But he says MS stands for "mighty savior."

"...I thought I would start living. God’s got me here for a reason, and maybe I’m going through this because someone out there needs to see and help become motivated," he said.

Alan can paint, but he also uses his specialized glasses to connect to the computer and explore the internet. He uses web cameras to livestream his painting sessions on Facebook. He also loves to get on Zoom calls.

"I can play bingo. I can reach out to a lot of people with this technology. That keeps me from being alone and that’s been wonderful," Deacon said.

Alan’s motto is “I will while I can." That saying came to him as he tried during a painting session earlier in his condition. 

"I was done, it wipes me out. Hard to explain. But I got the words 'I will while I can' and not only does that help me, but I’m pretty sure there’s other people going through something that would help them. And that’s what God has sent," he said.

Alan sells his paintings to raise money for his horse rescue. You can learn more by emailing adeacon9@gmail.com or (716) 253-7282.