I was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in May 2002 and told basically I had 2-3 years to live. At this time my son was 10 years old and the thought of never seeing him grow up and not being there for him was devastating.

I decided pretty quickly that I wasn't going to let it beat me without a fight. Discovering Stephen Hawking had survived years just made me more determined. My family became my rocks and the reason to keep smiling and fighting.

I am one of the fortunate ones with a slow progression, unfortunately most people die within 18 months of diagnosis. Gradually loosing the use of your arms and legs is pretty tough and very frustrating. Moods can be very low sometimes but I try to smile and laugh every day. My motto is don't dwell on what you had and be aware of what may be but don't think about it to much.

I lived my life to the full attending as many concerts as possible. Sitting in a wheelchair and not being in among the crowd is tough I just want to get up and dance and sing. Last year however everything changed I was rushed in with to much carbon dioxide in my body as my breathing was affected. Life has changed so much I am no longer allowed to weight bear so have to be hoisted. Going out to my much loved concerts is something I can't think about at the moment as I have to think about transport and toilet facilities as I can no longer transfer from wheelchair to toilet. Having to use non invasive ventilation overnight is not to bad I'm used to it now. However it has made me feel very anxious and vulnerable and need to take it with me wherever I go. I will however continue to fight and overcome hurdles one by one.

Maxine running these half marathons because of my diagnosis means a lot to me. We met in the last year of Junior school and have remained friends ever since. I have many memories of our time at school and just want to thank her for doing her best for MNDA.