Updated on Jun 21st 2010 at 9:33 AM using the JustGiving iPhone app

Three peaks done !!!!! Well done everyone this weekend especially Rob, David and David. Thanks to everone who has generously sponsored us and help raise a lot of money for MNDA...

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

This challenge is dedicated to a very close family member and good friend who had Motor Neurone Disease for 17 years and was sadly taken from us just before Christmas.

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare, serious and incurable condition where over time, the nerves in the brain and spine experience a progressive loss of function (neurodegeneration).

Specifically, nerve cells known as motor neurones are affected by MND.

What are motor neurones?

Motor neurones are specialised nerve cells that control important voluntary muscle activity, such as:

• walking,
• speaking,
• breathing, and
• swallowing.

Loss of motor neurone function can lead to weakness and wasting of the muscles, increasing loss of mobility in the limbs and difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing.

How common is motor neurone disease?

MND is one of the rarest neurological conditions (conditions that affect the nervous system). For example, in England, it is estimated that there will be two new cases of MND each year for every 100,000 people.

MND mainly affects adults who are over 40 and most cases develop in people between 50 and 70 years of age. However, MND can affect adults under the age of 40.

Men account for 60% of all cases of MND, with women accounting for the remaining 40%.

The cause (or causes) of MND are unknown, but it seems likely that genes play a factor, at least in some people with the condition. This is because 10% of people who develop MND also have a close family relative with the condition.

Types of motor neurone disease

There are three main types of MND:

• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - is the most common form of MND and accounts for 60-70% of cases,
• progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) - accounts for 20% of MND cases, and
• progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) - accounts for 10% of cases.

The symptoms of all three forms of MND are similar, although there is a difference in how quickly each type progresses.

There is also a very rare form of MND known as primary lateral sclerosis. Unlike other forms of MND, primary lateral sclerosis is not fatal, although there have been some cases when primary lateral sclerosis developed into ALS.

Outlook

In terms of survival rates, the outlook for MND is very poor. The facts are that:

• most people with ALS die within two to five years after the start of symptoms,
• most people with PBP die within six months to three years after the start of symptoms, and
• the outlook for PMA is slightly better, with an average survival rate of five to 10 years.

Although the outlook for most cases of MND is poor, a minority of people with the condition survive much longer than the timescales stated above. For example, the scientist Steven Hawkings has MND, and was diagnosed over 40 years ago.

In terms of quality of life, the outlook for people living with MND is not as bleak as many people imagine. While MND cannot be cured, its symptoms can be treated and some people with the condition are able to maintain a fairly independent lifestyle for a number of years.

The National Three Peaks Challenge is a mountain-endurance challenge in Great Britain, with a history of over 40 years, in which participants attempt to climb the highest peaks of each of the island's three countries. Whilst the challenge has no official rules or time restrictions, many participants try and complete it within 24 hoursThe mountains climbed, in order of elevation, are Ben Nevis in Western Scotland, 1,344 metres (4,409 ft), Snowdon in North Wales, 1,085 metres (3,560 ft), and Scafell Pike in North-Western England, 978 metres (3,209 ft). In all the challenge involves some 42 kilometres (26 mi) of ascent and descent, with total travel approaching 765 kilometres (475 mi). The challenge is usually undertaken starting with Ben Nevis, the highest, and for many the most distant. It is my intention to complete this challenge in 24hours.

 

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