Marsha's Marathon 2006 Run

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for logging onto my website for the next Flora London Marathon 2006. This will be my second marathon—and definitely not my last.

My goal this year is to raise as much money as I can for Multiple Sclerosis Research. It is a very special goal for me, as many years ago I lost my own mother to this terribly debilitating disease.

It is thought that somewhere between 85,000 and 100,000 people in the UK—about 1 in 600—have been diagnosed. MS affects more women than men, with symptoms usually becoming apparent in young adults (between the ages of 20 and 40).

No one knows what causes MS despite the vast amount of research that has been and continues to be conducted. As with most chronic illnesses, the problems are both physical and emotional. The severity and incidence of symptoms vary enormously from person to person and even from hour to hour.

One-third of people diagnosed with MS are still working, walking, and functioning relatively normally 25 years following their diagnosis—and that is all because of your donations that have helped enormously with the research.

Please help me with this worthy cause. Together, we can make a difference and provide a better life for those affected.

In loving memory of my mother,

Marsha