Firstly, for those of you who are unaware what Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is, it is a rare condition which progressively damages the nervous system. It is a slow, painful and constant process. The continual deterioration of the body’s muscles almost always leads to death. Therefore when being diagnosed you can imagine how terrifying this can be, knowing what is to come.

My Grandfather, David Lansdale, was diagnosed with MND after what was originally thought to be a stroke. Here the process began. It wasn’t until gaining a better understanding of the disease that reality kicked in.

I have always had a very close relationship with both my Granddad and Nan (Eve Lansdale), which is why writing about the loss of David is extremely difficult for me.

Changes in my Granddads health were not instantly apparent, however, they were prolonged and constant. Perhaps one of the most significant losses my granddad experienced was when his speech began to slur. This slowly worsened and soon he could not speak at all. Being the bubbly, happy person David was, this was not enough to make him give up. He created his own methods of communication, with the use of his whiteboard for general talking, or the texting if he was being cheeky.

Following this, David slowly lost another aspect of life that we all really take for granted -his ability to eat. This began with him not being able to eat solid food, and gradually developed to him having to be fed artificial ‘feeds’ through a small tube directly into the stomach. Imagine not ever being able to eat a cream egg again, or in my granddads case, Shepard’s Pie.

Among these two main lifestyle changes there were many others, such as:
-Loss of control over his bowel
-Complete deterioration of his tongue
-Gradual loss of ability to walk
-The struggle to keep upright
-Severe breathing difficulties

Eventually, after a long, horrible process, the disease won and took my granddads life. Whoever speaks about David always says the same thing: ‘Motor Neurone Disease can try to take absolutely everything from a human, however, it cannot take away personality’. From the day that my granddad was diagnosed to the day he died, he stayed the same man. He was terminally ill, and still never made a scene or took things for granted. I really do believe that if it wasn’t for his fight, the disease could have taken his life much earlier than it did. He never, ever gave up.  

By running the 2014 Brighton Marathon in memory of David Lansdale I hope to raise money for Motor Neurone Disease Association. I feel that the money I earn can help towards aiding those experiencing the disease and also their relatives. I believe that discovering cures for diseases is an on-going process that will simply take time. However, until then, it is important to make these peoples remaining time the best quality possible.