Please help me raise money for 'Funding Neuro' to help make a difference and raise awareness for Movement Disorders. My life was saved and changed when I received experimental brain surgery. Having benefitted from neurosurgery research, I wish to give back to the team of doctors who helped me and who created this charity. 

Here is my story:

At the age of thirteen, I developed a rare pain disorder called Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), in my hip, following a minor injury.  Initially this improved, but soon became very aggressive and spread to many parts of my body. This is when I developed a movement disorder called Fixed Dystonia, which causes your muscles to permanently be in spasm.  Despite many treatments, drug therapies, physiotherapy and surgeries, at seventeen it had spread all over body, leaving me unable to move anything except for my facial muscels.  My Dystonia became so aggressive that my condition soon became critical.

Unfortunately, there was no known treatment, and ‘time was running out’ so I underwent experimental brain surgery called  ‘Deep Brain Stimulation’. A treatment originally used in patients with Parkinson ’s Disease.

A week post-op I woke up and was able to move my arms, neck and back again! - thanks to the surgery.  Though the following two years involved many relapses (involving multiple long stays in intensive care). Once the correct settings for the DBS had been made, I became very stable, stronger and now have full upper body movement.  During my rehabilitation, I became passionate about sailing. This led me to have the privilege of competing in national and international competitions, representing Great Britain in World Championships and becoming a 2012 Torchbearer. 

Now, at the ripe age of 27 years old, I find myself having graduated as a Speech and Language Therapist, qualified as a L2 Race Coach, and become the first person to be issued an Authorisation to Instruct certificate (a endorsed Dinghy Instructor Certificate). Things that I did not think was possible.

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I am not the only success story from neurosurgery research.  Neurological disorders can be very scary and desperate at times. Without the support and dedication of the doctors from Professor Steven Gill’s research team, I and others would not be here today.

Please help me smash my target and raise over £3K.