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As you can see by the photo I made it to the Eiffel Tower after three hundred miles cycling over four days . Riding through Paris round the Arc de Triomph was  an experience of a life time and  the aches and pains vanished as quickly as the champagne . Thanks to Eric Tennin ffrom parisdailyphoto.com  for coming to meet me and  my other Parisienne  friends Francoise, Bernard, Gege  and marie Clause for their banners and cheers . Am now going to to indulgle in more bubbles  ( the bath type ) .

 

Thanks everyone for your donations and support it really has  encouraged me and the HDA  will use the money to support families like mine who have been devastaed by this cruel illness. 

 

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Almost time to go  . Wobble off from Blackheath at 6am Wednesday morning . Am hoping my training will have prepared me for the  four days of cycling ahead and do hope the hills in Kent and Northern France are a teeny bit smaller than  in Brighouse .  Once again a massive thankyou for all your kind donations and messages of support .

 

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Three weeks to go before I set off from London. I have cycled almost 1500 miles since March which I would never have believed possible. Two more weeks training to go then a couple of shorter flatter rides the week before .

On Sunday I cycled from Brighouse to Littleborough  up a hill which the sign at the bottom says is the longest continuous gradient in England . To get to the top was a massive achievement. I have to thank Robert Stott who has cycled may of the miles with me.

 

The fundriasing has gone better than I could have hoped  and once again a big thankyou to everyone . On the 25th The Red Rooster is having a quiz and raffle .

Will be updating facebook with my progress on the trip .

 

Jackie x

 

 

***** Attended the launch of the All Party Parliamentary group for Huntington's Disease the theme of which was HiDden no more . The turn out was fantastic.

 

Thanks to everyone who has dontated so far  I now have a schedule of cycle gym cycle cycle gym cycle gym gym cycle a bit different from my usual summer acivity of reading lots of books . I will keep you updated with my progress and once again thanks everyone for your generosity .*****

 

 

On I will set off to cycle from to , a city I have been to many times but never on two wheels.

I am doing this to raise money and awareness for the Huntington's Disease Association (HDA).

Huntington's Disease is a degenerative genetic disease that has torn my family apart over several generations .It has robbed me of my grandfather, my uncle, and when I was only 12 years of age it took my mother. I was fortunate to have a most wonderful grandmother  who cared for me and my brother until she died when I was 18. She was a remarkable and wonderful Nana because not only did she care for us, but  she had also watched  her husband ( my grandfather ) her son ( my uncle) and her daughter ( my mother )  suffer the physical , mental and emotional symptoms of this cruel disease. Her grief must have been unimaginable yet she was the most kind, patient and courageous person I have known.

As if losing over half of your family were not cruel enough HD  has an even more  deadly blow; it is a genetic disease, which means that every child  with a parent suffering from  HD also has a 50/50  chance of developing the disease themselves, which at present has no treatment or cure and is always fatal . This means that both me and my brother live with this risk.

 While many diseases can be treated or cured, HD cannot. The individuals affected will die a slow, ugly death. As it destroys the brain, HD robs people of their ability to walk, talk, think, and care for themselves. HD strikes people in the prime of life, though young people can also suffer.
 
As I was very young when my mother died I have not really discussed HD with many of my friends, and it may come as a surprise to you when you read this, the reason for my decision to cycle from London to Paris. Yet I hope now I have finally told my story you will support me by raising much needed funds for what is a very small charity. Please visit their website to learn more about this cruel illness.

Finally, why London to Paris? The reason I have chosen to cycle from London to Paris  is because  I  have a Parisian  friend whose family has also been devastated by HD  so I know I will have a warm welcome and maybe even some cold champagne when I reach the Eiffel tower!

 

I am funding the trip myself and with the help of a small grant from Calderdale Carers Project so any money you kindly donate will go straight to the HDA.

 

For a bit more background on the illness I have included a video by Journalist Charles Sabine, who has himself inherited the condition.  

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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Thanks to the following people who have donated off line Jenny and Peter Smith,Caroline Sunderland,Lesley and Neil Surr,MandySurr,Sandra Lake,Luke and Sarah,Deborah Hill,Karen Clay,Janice,Kenneth,Craig Whittaker,Anne Lancaster, Rick Sills , Brenda Holmes , Brenda Booth , Joy, Alan and Betty Greenhalgh. John and Alla Howarth, Eileen, Shirley Barker,  Robert Stott , friends and neighbours in brighouse and beyond. Nikki . Andy Flynn.

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