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In June 2014 our son David, who was 29 at the time, ran the whole length of Hadrian's Wall, a distance of 70 miles, in a single day. In June 2015 David was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, after a year of mysterious symptoms, including feeling increasingly exhausted and weak. 

There is no cure for MND. It is a fatal, rapidly progressive disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It attacks the nerves that control movement, and can leave victims unable to move, talk and eventually to breathe.

MND kills 5 people every day in the UK: half within 14 months of diagnosis. It is much more common than I had thought- since David had his diagnosis many people have told me about knowing someone who has died from MND. It affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time.

After his diagnosis David asked his amazing girlfriend Phil to marry him, and in September 2016 they had the most beautiful and moving wedding many of those present had ever attended. In November David had his first children's book, The Homeless Bumble Bee, published by Friends of the Earth. In December they began what was intended to be a year of travel around the world with a fundraising trek up Mt Kilimanjaro to raise money for the MNDA.

The MNDA is the only organisation that exists specifically to support people with MND and their families and carers. It also funds and promotes research into causes and treatment for MND, and campaigns to raise awareness of the needs of those suffering from it.

David and Phil raised nearly £11,000.00 for the MNDA, and had a wonderful three months in Africa, while David was well enough to travel. They have had to change their plans as the illness progressed, and are now living in Newcastle. 

Both  are experts in living in the present, making the most of the precious time they have together. One year after diagnosis David is now in a wheelchair and needs full time care. His breathing and his swallowing are affected by the MND. He is losing his voice physically but not practically, thanks to the wonderful eye gaze technology that allows him to speak, read and write emails, and crucially to continue his career as an author. David continues to be kind, loving, sociable, and very funny. He and Phil are both incredibly brave and by their example  inspire all of us who love them to cope with the pain of witnessing David's illness progress.

I have felt utterly helpless in the face of this devastating disease. But being part of Team 2fingers2MND and training to take part in the Great North Run makes me feel I can do something to help David and other sufferers of MND. As a family we have already benefited from the expert advice and support of the MNDA. I really want to contribute to the search for treatment and a cure for MND, and hope that one day no-one will have to suffer from this horrific disease. 

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