The story of an “inspirational man” who took part in a ground-breaking clinical trial will be told in a new documentary.

Tom Isaacs, from Croxley Green, participated in a pioneering form of brain surgery in the search for a cure for Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with at 26 in 1995.

The Parkinson's Drug Trial: A Miracle Cure? - in which Mr Isaacs will appear as one of eight other candidates - will air on BBC Two tomorrow (February 28) at 9pm.

Mr Isaacs devoted his life to changing the face of Parkinson’s research until his untimely death in 2017.

Watford Observer:

Lyndsey and Tom Isaacs during an infusion Passionate Productions

The cutting-edge medical trial of which he was a part, involved complex surgery to insert catheters into the brain through which the drug GDNF (Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, or placebo) can be directly infused.

Mr Isaacs co-founded The Cure Parkinson’s Trust in 2005 after meeting Professor Steven Gill - who later became lead surgeon and neurologist on the GDNF trial - which has since grown into an internationally renowned charity funding pioneering research.

Professor Gill went on to design a pioneering Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) device used during the trial at Bristol Southmead Hospital which Mr Isaacs enrolled for.

Professor Gill said Mr Isaacs was “absolutely central” to the success of the device which can be used to target areas of the brain and which is being used in separate trials for children with rare brain tumours.

Mr Isaacs’s wife Lyndsey said her husband’s story and that of GDNF were “intertwined”.

Speaking about his experience before he died, Mr Isaacs, said: “The last four years have been a rollercoaster to say the least and we can be incredibly proud of being involved in this ground breaking and pivotal study.”

A second episode of the documentary will air on March 7 at 9pm.

www.cureparkinsons.org.uk/donate