Swimming for Motor Neurone Disease - Turning the Tides
Matthew Houghton is raising money for Motor Neurone Disease Association
Story
Motor Neurone Disease (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a rare disease that effects over 250,000 people annually worldwide. There are roughly 5000 people living with it here in the UK, (approx.18,000 in USA) most of whom face a rapid progression of severe disability: walking, talking, swallowing and breathing.
The average life expectancy after diagnosis is just 3 years, with only 10 per cent of people with MND living 10 years or more. The needs of people with MND are complex and progressive but variation from
person to person makes each person’s disease course very different. It is still a disease that we still know very little about and awareness of it in the main stream of society is very low meaning funding for vital research is limited.
person to person makes each person’s disease course very different. It is still a disease that we still know very little about and awareness of it in the main stream of society is very low meaning funding for vital research is limited.
There is no effective treatment currently and research is the only hope if we are to beat this devastating condition. It is a disease that affects not just those with MND but their family, friends and communities who support them.
The past 10 years have provided me the opportunity to see the true direct and indirect effects it has on a loved one, the immediate family and close friends. I want to do my part to try and bring a bit more awareness, visibility and understanding around the true impact this disease has on our loved ones, family and friends whilst raising money to support them and the much-needed research.
I have decided to take on the Hellespont and Dardanelles (4.5km) Swim Challenge and swim from Asia to Europe with the aim of raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The MND Association is a charity focused on improving access to care, research and campaigning for people affected by motor neurone disease. #
It founded and still hosts the annual International Symposium which brings together researchers into this devastating disease from all round the globe and fosters close relationships and collaborative research.
I would love to take you on this journey with me and hope you can support me through this challenge and contribute to a cause close to my heart.
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