2 years ago on my 50th birthday (19th Sept 2019) my 20 year old son, Kieran Fitzwater, began to develop symptoms which we later discovered to be Guillan Barre Syndrome. Over the course of the next 10 days we watched on helplessly as Kieran went from being a fit, healthy, active young man to being wheelchair bound unable to do most things we take for granted every day without help.

Those 10 days were the worst days of my life, we had no idea if Kieran would continue to decline until he needed help breathing or if he would begin to recover. 

I am so grateful and relieved to say that his immune system began to fight back and we were fortunate enough to watch him make a full recovery over the next few months. Many  who contract this awful condition are not as lucky and are left with a permanent disability or in some cases do not survive.. 

Kieran is now back to full fitness, apt then that exactly 2 years later, on my 52nd birthday (19/09/21), we will be running the Bristol Half Marathon together raising money for this vital charity. And of course I’m going to beat him  ;-)!! 

GAIN is the only national organisation in the UK and Republic of Ireland dedicated to helping people affected by these conditions. Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare autoimmune condition affecting the peripheral nervous system, usually leading to temporary or long-term paralysis. Around 80% of those with GBS will make a good recovery, but between 5-10% of people will not survive and the other 10-15% may be left with severe mobility or dexterity issues. Chronic variants such as CIDP are similar but longer-lasting, requiring ongoing treatment. GAIN helps people understand and manage acute and chronic variants of the syndrome, raises awareness, and promotes clinical and non-clinical research into these conditions. This is an expensive commitment and they rely solely on voluntary donations, people organising and taking part in events to raise funds for the charity, and income from legacies. For every £1 received, over 91p is spent on fulfilling charitable objectives.