The clock is ticking.......

                 A race against time

In just a few days time I will be taking up the challenge of running the London Marathon. Like most people I am running for a cause, a cause that deserves our backing, a cause that I hope you will be able to support in some way.

I have never attempted a marathon before, but on Sunday 22nd April I will be running against the clock and hoping to raise £100 for each and every mile of the 26.2 mile course for Parent Project UK (PPUK) which is the only national charity to exclusively fund research and campaign for better medical care for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

Particularly good news is that Abbey National have agreed to double, up to a maximum of £3,500, monies that are collected for this event - so by sponsoring me, you are doubling your money and really making a difference!

I have been moved to support PPUK through the direct connection with Oliver, the son of our good friends Mandy & Colin, who was diagnosed with DMD just four years ago. It is difficult to imagine how one might cope with the diagnosis of your child with a terminal illness; it is truly a tragedy that Oliver and his parents, and so many other families, have to face a future of such cruel certainties.

DMD is a severe genetic muscle wasting disease; it affects thousands of children across the world, every year 100 boys in the UK with DMD die before they are 20 and there is no known cure. It is the biggest genetic child killer, it is a cruel disease, between the ages of 8-12 children are confined to wheelchairs, as the condition progresses it affects the upper body, the respiratory system and heart, parents are told that they will see their child die as young as 18.

But there is some hope, medical research has moved at an incredible pace and various treatments have been found to help with the complications of the disease. In the UK this year clinical trials will be running, that if successful, will provide a treatment that will slow down the relentless progression of the disease. But these trials are under funded and we need more funds for them to continue.

So we're hopeful that you are just seconds away from helping fund the ongoing clinical trials which last 4 years and are going well thus far. Encouragingly there are however many research threads (and so hopefully many ways to crack the nut) for what is a complex condition to crack, all the research operates at the forefront of biogenomics and genetic medicine and the current clinical trials has stemmed from our own shores and has been driven from the UK.

"We" want to be able to deliver amelioration at least, to the worst ravages of the condition, so another generation of children is not lost so hugely prematurely.

Thank you for visiting our fundraising page, whether a friend, colleague, or perhaps a parent of one of my pupils, please sponsor me online. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Parent Project UK will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Many thanks for your support, we believe that ultimately you'll be saving lives with your kindness.

Pascale Hewett..