Hi, my name is Michelle and I run a carers coffee group in Irlam called Together@M44. Babs started coming to our group a few months ago and holds a special place in all of our hearts. After seeing a post from her Mum, Myself and Louisa knew that we needed to do something to help. We have discussed this with other carers in group and everyone agreed that we needed to pull together to help raise some funds that will help Babs and the family with her ongoing and ever changing needs. This is Babs’ story.....

Dear Friend,

I am not asking for money or any financial support, if you could just take the time to read this letter and pass it on to anyone who you think might be able to help…My name is Barbara Mason and we really are at the end of our tether and do not have any clue as to which way to turn. Our daughter also Barbara or Babs Mason has been suffering with the cruellest of illness for the past four years.

At the age of just 34 she is physically and mentally shutting down before us and we have tried everything to help with her condition. We have seen specialists in London and jumped through all the ‘hoop’s we are asked to but still nothing has made any difference.

Babs, cannot walk apart from shuffling a step or two with support, she cannot feed herself as her fingers have turned inwards and she is now totally dependent on family members and now weighs around 6 stone.

Babs worked hard at her job that she loved as a teaching assistant, but is now unable to use a phone or computer and feels so cut off on a day to day basis leading to ‘separation anxiety’ and has very low esteem and depression.

Her condition has been diagnoised as Iron on the Brain (PLA2G6) or Genetic Parkinsonian Syndrome with Neuro Degeneration. At 34 she has barely started to live her life. This made so much more distressing for everyone involved, as she has a beautiful and energetic 3-year-old son Lawrence, who she adores but can do pretty much nothing to help in his support and upbringing.

Seeing Babs getting worse on a daily basis is destroying the family, we just cannot sit back and watch this happen. We need help…

This is a plea from the heart… We are willing to try anything to give Babs a better quality of life, new drugs, experimental drugs or procedures, new research, anything rather than watch our daughter, sister and mother, fade away….

Can you help? Do you know some one who could help? Have you heard of any new break through’s or research for this kind of illness?? Any support, advice, new research, drug development, trials, anything to help our Babs

We run our coffee group from a local pub in Irlam called The Old Nags Head. Josh and John who own the pub have also agreed that we need to do sometying to help And have offered to work with us to arrange some fundraising events.

If there is anything that you may be able to do to help, no matter how big or small, even if it is just sharing Babs’ story to help raise awareness it would mean so much.

Thank You