Welcome to my fundraising page in aid of Motor Neurone Disease Association. First of all, thank you for taking the time to click on this link.

My brother, Stephen, his girlfriend Nikki and some of my friends and I are taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge for the first time this year and we need all the support we can get!

I have always enjoyed going on hikes, whether it’s along the Inca trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, breath-taking Snowdonia National Park or along the fresh cliff tops in South East England. I want to push myself further this year as I turn 30 with this difficult challenge and have invited my friends to join me.

As some of you may already know, my dad, Charlie, has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and has been living with it for the past 4 and a half years. It affects everyone differently so it's really hard to diagnose, it took almost 1 year until they were able to diagnose my dad. It came as a massive shock to our family as he had never had any serious illnesses and had always been healthy throughout his life. He is well know in our area of Surrey, where for 40 years he was a well-respected policeman (even those he'd arrested in the past would offer to buy him drinks down the pub!). Always kind to those around him, gentle, spiritual and a wicked sense of humour, which he has kept throughout the progression of the disease to this day.

I could go on and on about how amazing my dad is, how he has helped countless people he has met throughout his life without asking for anything in return. How he continues to battle fearlessly to this day, but I think what's more important, is to share how he does this. By setting himself 'milestones' to reach in his life, like his seeing first daughter get married, and then the birth of their first child (see pictures below), he is actively doing all he can to live the best life possible. His next milestones include helping his son and girlfriend buy their first house, and to watch me complete the three peaks challenge on my 30th birthday!

It is also extremely important to mention the care that he receives from the dedicated carers (Carers with Care - Linda, Emma, & Wayne thank you!) and not only from them, but from my mum, Sheila, who is by my dad every step of the way. Your dedication and love is inspiring.

There’s a couple of reasons why this cause is one I want to hike for and one I want others to become aware of. MND is not a common disease but is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It can leave you locked in a failing body, unable to move, talk, swallow and eventually breathe, and there is no cure. With more research we might be able to find quicker way to diagnose this disease, for us it took so long that precious time was wasted. The Motor Neurone Disease Association is the only national charity focused on improving access to care, research and campaigning, which is why I have chosen to fundraise for them. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you would like to help, we would be grateful of any donations you are able to give. If you aren't in a position to,  please do share this page, then hopefully we can help raise more awareness of MND, fund more help, support, and research, and eventually one day be able to fight back against it.

If you'd like to read more about MNDAssociation and the work they do please visit: https://www.mndassociation.org/research/

Jess x