Thanks for taking the time to visit my page. I learned about Rett syndrome a few years ago after reading about former St Mirren and Kilmarnock footballer Mark Reilly, whose young daughter Dionne was diagnosed with Rett syndrome when she was a toddler. Rett Syndrome affects almost exclusively females, as the vast majority of males that develop the condition in the womb do not survive, and those that do cannot survive beyond infancy. The effects of the syndrome can vary in severity, but in most cases there are effects in growth, brain function, speech, walking and other movement. You can learn more about Rett Syndrome by going to the Reverse Rett / Rett Syndrome Research Trust UK website or doing a simple google search.

Unfortunately not being a high profile medical condition, charities only in this area receive only a very small amount of government funding and so really needs private donations to enable researchers to keep going with clinical trials in the search for a safe potential cure. Indeed there have been huge advances in recent years in this area as in trials involving mice with the syndrome, scientists have managed to reverse the effects of the syndrome, and so they think they are closer than ever to a break through relating to the human condition.

As most of you reading this page will already know, I am a (not particularly fast!) runner, and run in around 15-25 races a year normally between 5km, 10km and half marathon. I will be running a number of races a year for this charity, and would love to receive any donations, no matter how small if you can afford to. For 2015 I would like to aim to run a full marathon for the first time - I'm not sure how the body will hold up to the training as I am a little injury prone these days (the delights of old age!!), but I'm going to give it my best shot! I'll be keeping the page open indefinitely and will update it relatively frequently!

Thank you all!!! :-)

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So please dig deep and donate now.