Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My beautiful mum Marti lost her battle with Dystonia on 16th April 2014. She suffered with this condition for five agonising years and during this time it wreaked havoc on her body. It robbed her of her passion, independence and all round zest for life and it made every day a living hell as she could no longer find peace within her own body. 

Dystonia is an incurable neurological disorder which occurs when incorrect signals from the brain lead to uncontrollable and extremely painful muscle spasms in the body. The condition is estimated to affect at least 70,000 people in the UK. The effects of dystonia are not simply confined to impacting on someone's physical movements but it also has a devastating effect on their quality of life.

The Dystonia Society provides practical and emotional support to people living with this neurological condition by providing support and information services both nationally through a helpline and online forum and at a local level through their network of groups.

It also encourages research to find better treatments for this incurable condition. 

Nothing can prepare you for what it is like to watch someone you love so much suffer so badly and not be able to take their pain away. On some of the darkest days I was lucky enough to be able to turn to the Dystonia Society and know that there was always someone at the end of the phone to speak to and to get advice from which enabled me to be  a better support to my mum and for this I will always be grateful. 

It has been three years since my mum died and I feel like I now have the strength to honour her memory and raise awareness of this terrible condition and what better way to do it than by climbing the world's highest freestanding mountain!

So this one's for you mum - you are the most courageous and strong women that I will ever know and I hope that I can make you at least half as proud as you have made me. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my page. I would be grateful for any donations that you can make to this amazing charity.

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