Andrew Wakelin
Andrew's WoW page
Fundraising for Association for Glycogen Storage Disease (UK) Ltd
Story
Many thanks to all who supported me. The page remains open until the end of December.
Please see the results at www.agsd.org.uk.
05/08/10 - We finished at the Senedd, Cardiff Bay on Monday 2 August, as planned! An amazing feeling and an outcome I could hardly dare believe when we set off from the Great Orme on 2 July. We made the ITV Wales 6pm News. It has been a huge success for all the walkers, inspired hundreds of other McArdle people around the world who followed us, and the benefits will go on rippling out through the planned DVD and now a week for many others with McArdle's next year. - Andrew
I suffer from McArdle Disease, a very rare disorder of the muscles which causes pain on exercise and every day activities. It causes breakdown of the muscles, which can lead to kidney failure.
From 2nd July to 2nd August 2010 I am going to "Walk over Wales" - over from North to South and over the mountains. I have to use special techniques to achieve this, and I cover about half the daily distances of other people. It's 210 miles and 35,000 feet of ascent, but I am determined to do it.
I had symptoms from age 4 but was diagnosed only at 30 and had no help for another 20 years. By luck I did many of the right things in my early years and I am not severely affected, although I live with pain every day and many activities are a struggle. Other people with McArdle's are not so lucky.
I want to raise awareness of the disease so that children are diagnosed early. They can then have suitable advice about what type of exercise/activity to avoid and how to exercise safely. I want to raise money to enable AGSD-UK (which supports McArdle Disease research and provides information to people around the world) to make a DVD to help people with the condition cope the best they can and improve their quality of life.
JustGiving is an easy, secure and efficient way to donate. They send your money directly to AGSD-UK and reclaim Gift Aid where eligible. Every penny goes to AGSD-UK, we are all paying our own way on the walk. Thank you.