Hello! We're Matt & Mandy - we're brother & sister and we have set us the rather nutty challenge of trekking across Nepal in November 2015 to raise money for the SMA Trust. 

Over the next 11 months, we'll be completing challenges to help fund our trip and to raise money and awareness of the SMA trust's fabulous and so so important work. 

 A little bit about SMA from the SMA Trust website

SMA is a genetic neuromuscular disease, which means it is inherited and affects nerves responsible for muscle function. Although classified as rare, SMA is the leading genetic killer of infants and toddlers, with approximately 95% of the most severely diagnosed cases resulting in death by the age of 18 months. Children with a less severe form of SMA face the prospect of progressive muscle wasting, loss of mobility and motor function.

1 in 40 people is an SMA carrier, ie approximately 1.5 million people in the UK

1 in every 6,000 births is affected by SMA.

Progressive wasting (atrophy) of muscles can lead to the following:

• Atrophy in trunk muscles can lead to skeletal deformities (e.g. scoliosis)
• Atrophy in breathing muscles can lead to potentially fatal respiratory problems
• Atrophy in swallowing muscles can lead to difficulties in eating and drinking

Please help us reach our joint goal of £8,000 donating & sharing our efforts as we go. 

Follow us on twitter @mmsmashit and facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Mandy-SMAsh-it/493840344091675