Joanne Harwood
Jo's page: Yes, the Harwoods are at it again!
Fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease Association
Story
On 5 April 2018, it will be 10 years since I lost my wonderful Dad to aspiration pneumonia caused by Bulbar Palsy, a form of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) that affects the nerves in the brain that are involved with speech and swallowing. An eloquent man lost the ability to articulate words, to chew, to swallow...watching him deteriorate was one of the hardest things I have ever experienced.
MND can affect how a person walks, talks, eats, drinks and breathes. Some people also experience changes to their thinking and behaviour. However, MND affects everyone differently. Not all symptoms will affect everyone, or in the same order. Symptoms also progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict.
MND is life-shortening and there is no cure.
So, with that in mind, on 11 Aug, along with the wonderful Beth, I'm doing a sponsored walk to raise money for the MND Association, the only national charity in England, Wales & Northern Ireland focused on improving access to care, research and campaigning with regard to MND. We're taking on the first half of the Wye Valley Challenge: approximately 50km along the England-Wales border, from Chepstow to Ross-on-Wye.
If you feel so inclined, any sponsorship will be most gratefully received, be it in memory of Dad, for someone else whose life has been affected by MND, or just to stop us pestering you over the coming months!
50km. Again. Must be mad. Or maybe all these walks are just a Harwood Thing!
Aged P – this one is for you.