A few months ago my Mum was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. With MND, messages from the motor neurones in the brain gradually stop reaching the muscles which leads them to weaken, stiffen and waste. MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and even breathe. The condition affects everyone differently and symptoms can progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict.

Unfortunately, MND is life-shortening and there is no cure. Although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life.

There is a 1 in 300 risk of getting MND across a lifetime and it affects up to 5,000 adults across the UK at any one time. As this is not a common disease, general health and social care professionals may not see many cases of MND, which means it is important to seek out specialists in its treatment and care.

With my mum now confined to her bed, having lost her independence and freedom of mobility, I plan to take on this challenge for her to raise awareness about the condition and raise vital funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The Northern Ireland Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association is run entirely by volunteers who aim to provide the best possible support, advice and equipment to local people with MND, their families and carers.

So, this Spring I will walk 300km across the Scottish Highlands, from Glasgow to Inverness, in 10 days, climb Ben Nevis - the highest mountain in the British Isles - and climb the Mourne 7 Sevens in one day (the 7 mountains over 700m in the Mourne mountain range). We would be very grateful for any donations and support that you can provide, no matter how great or small. 

I will be posting regular updates on my social media channels of the trek and mountain challenges and I'll even be giving away some cool PRIZES along the way too, so be sure to watch out for them! 

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