I decided to take up running last April, tagging along with my mum in a running group, if you had said then that I would be running a half marathon - I'd have laughed! But now I'm really running one - AND in 3 weeks!!! 

I chose Parkinson's UK to fundraise for, as it's a disease that I am very interested in and that is very close to my heart. Not only do I have family that have fought hard against the disease for many years, I am also completing my dissertation project on 'How exercise affects Parkinson's' - so I have a huge interest in the subject, and I feel that it's a very worthy cause.

I've been training alongside one of my close uni friends, Ro Bowers - who is also raising money for Alzheimer's society. Please visit her page too: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ro-Bowers.

Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease, where certain cells, called neurones, in a particular part of the brain are damaged or die. It is usually classed as a chronic ageing disease, affecting people over the age of 50, however it's possible for younger people to also develop it. 

The main problem in Parkinson's disease is that the depleting levels of neurones cause a decrease of a hormone called dopamine in the in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that sends messages around the brain and controls movement. This means that people slowly lose the ability to walk, write, talk or even smile. 

Symptoms can be subtle at first, but slowly progress and worsen the longer the person has the disease. The symptoms are not only physical, such as tremors and walking problems, but are also psychological - such as depression. 

Only 15% of Parkinson's cases have a genetic cause, the other 85% are idiopathic - this means that it's not clear what causes the the disease. There are some molecular components that researchers have found are related to Parkinson's and neurodegeneration. But even the genetic component of the disease could be caused by genetic abnormalities that are yet to be identified. 

There is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease.

As you can see, this is such an important cause. Both for the pharmacological research aspect and the care and support for the patients and families affected:

£10 will pay for 2 weeks of nutrients to grow brain cells in the lab for research.

£20 funds an hour of care from a specialist Parkinson's nurse.

£48 funds a clinical researcher for 2 hours.

£140 funds 10 helpline advisors to provide support and information to people that need it.

Every hour, 2 people are told that they have Parkinson's disease. This is a disease that needs our help.

Change Attitudes. Find a Cure. Join Us.

If you've got to the end of this essay - thank you so much for taking the time to read what I have to say, and please donate to this incredible worthy cause!

Catherine xx 

(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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.)