Story

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. This year I am running the Manchester 10km for the GEM Appeal. The GEM Appeal (Genetics, Enzymes, Metabolism) fund research and treatment of rare, life threatening genetic and metabolic disorders in children. My friends daughter, Millie Lonergan, was diagnosed with PKU (phenylketonuria) at only a few weeks old during a routine blood test. PKU is a rare condition in which a baby is born without the ability to properly break down an amino acid called phenylalanine. Though there is no cure, PKU is one of the few genetic diseases that can be controlled by diet and careful monitoring by specialists. In short, this means that Millie has to follow an extremely low-protein diet with close supervision of her parents, doctors and dieticians. Without this support children with PKU are at risk of developing brain damage and seizures. At home Millie has to have her blood taken every two weeks, with regular developmental and general health checks every three months. Millie's parents were able to quickly learn about the condition thanks to all the amazing staff at the Willink Unit, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, who the GEM Appeal work hard to raise funds for. The GEM Appeal are a small charity who receive no government funding - please help me to raise as much money as possible to enable them to continue their care for Millle and other children and young people. Anything you can give would be hugely appreciated by myself and the Lonergan family. Thanks :) <a href="http://www.gemappeal.org.uk/">www.gemappeal.org.uk/</a>   Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now.