Last year, a friend of mine took on one of the toughest footraces on earth and completed the Marathon des Sables in Morocco after a gruelling 5 days of running across the Sahara desert. Days after his return to the UK, he contracted Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) causing him to lose the use of his legs.

A year on and after months of treatment, physiotherapy and a huge amount of effort on his part - he's now back at work and slowly learning to use his legs again.

Having never previously heard of this terrible debilitating condition, the causes of which remain unknown, I felt compelled to do something to help raise awareness and support those in a similar condition.

The GBS Support Group offers care, information, non-medical advice and other assistance to sufferers and their families through a 24-hour helpline and several local branches.

They also promote research into the causes, prevention and treatment of the illness as well as advancing the education of the public and of the medical professions concerning the illnesses, their causes, prevention and treatment.

Here's a bit of info from the GBS Support Group:

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an inflammatory disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nerves. Severe weakness and numbness in the legs and arms characterise GBS. Loss of feeling and movement (paralysis) may occur in the legs, arms, upper body and face. Beacuse the cause of GBS is unknown, there is no way to prevent the disease from occuring.

Severe GBS may result in total paralysis, potentially dangerous fluctuations in heart rate and blood pressure, and inability to breathe without respiratory assistance. The muscles used for eye movement, speaking, chewing and swallowing also may become weak or paralysed. People with severe GBS often need long-term rehabilitation to regain normal independence, and as many as 15% experience lasting physical impairment.

In some cases, GBS can be fatal.

Chronic infalammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a disorder related to GBS that follows a much longer course. Though rarely fatal, recovery is not spontaneous like GBS and many patients seek an effective treatment that often proves elusive.

Although much more is now known about GBS and CIDP, the mechanisms that cause them remain elusive. Whilst treatment is effective for many, it is less so for the patients who are the most severely affected. Consequently GBS can still prove fatal and CIDP can result in a lifetime of chronic illness.
As a consequence, research into finding improved treatments and even a cure for these illnesses is desperately needed. These illnesses do not have a high profile and we have found that a most effective way of getting young scientists and doctors interested in these conditions is to fund their early years in research.

The GBS Support Group is a registered charity that supports those affected by GBS, CIDP and other related conditions in the UK and Ireland.
Please contact us for further information or support.

So, thanks for having a look at my page - I've got my place for the Virgin London Marathon 2010 and there's no going back... but seeing as I'm putting all this effort into getting my body in to some sort of form capable of taking on the 26 miles, 385 yards - I wondered if perhaps you might be able to help me by donating a small amount to this very worthy cause.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.