On 10 January 2012 I will be leaving Scotland for Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Here's why.

 

In 2007 at the age of 36 my friend, Bryn Williams, was told he had Parkinson's disease.

 

After his diagnosis Bryn set up Wobbly Williams to raise awareness of young onset Parkinson's disease and to raise funds to finance projects that would lead to a cure for Parkinson's. This year Bryn set up a charity, Funding Neuro, when the Wobbly Williams team was given the opportunity to advance the cure for neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, brain tumours, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Huntington's and motor neurone disease. Over the next two years Funding Neuro aims to raise £500,000, initially focussing on funding research on reliable methods of delivering drugs and therapeutic devices through the blood-brain barrier to where they will do most good.

 

The climbers in the team have already paid for the costs of the climb. Every penny raised will go towards the research. Please give whatever you can to help me and the team raise as much money as possible towards advancing the cure of Parkinson's and other neurological conditions.

 

Thank you.

Fiona