On 26th November 2025, our dad, Scott, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease aged 57.

For us (Beth and Alex), our mum, and our dad himself, everything completely upended itself. What came after was a blur of appointments and tests, and the kind of questions you’re too afraid to ask out loud.

For a disease like MND, there’s no opportunity to reverse or halt the progress. Medication can only slow it by a matter of months, and for many — including our dad — it causes sickness that makes taking it unsustainable. The words Motor Neurone Disease carry a certain heaviness; you feel like there’s no going back on the cards you’ve been dealt. Our auntie Jo’s mum, Irene, was diagnosed also with it aged 62 , and sadly passed away within 2 years. This makes MND something that’s touched our family more than once. It’s a cruel disease, and we’ve witnessed firsthand how it affects both the individuals and the people who love them.

However, on 2nd April this year, our dad’s seemingly final diagnosis was replaced with a question mark. Recent tests have thrown doubt on the conclusiveness of MND, putting us in a unique position where we can afford to think the outcome might be different. There’s a glimmer of hope, even if it’s a small one. And we know how rare this is.

It’s been a rollercoaster — one that’s not over yet. We’ve experienced firsthand how devastating this disease is. But we’ve also had some incredible support from the Motor Neurone Disease Association along the way, who have been absolutely vital in helping us get to grips with what we are facing — and might still face. Not only do they help families like ours come to terms with the diagnosis, they fund potentially life changing research that means those 3 letters might one day not be so final.

Our dad is dealing with what is, and still could be, a diagnosis that will never fully come to terms with. But, regardless of the outcome, we want to give back to the people who have made facing it that bit more manageable.

With that in mind, Alex and his uncle Steve (Jo’s husband and Irene’s son-in-law) are completing The Golden Miles walk in 1 day: 35 miles through 20 villages in the Peak District, with a cumulative ascent higher than Ben Nevis.

Starting at the crack of dawn on 20th June 2026, they’re walking for our dad, Irene, and the MND Association — one day before Global MND Awareness Day.

It’s been a scary and overwhelming journey, and we don’t have the answers yet, but we hope you can help us fund more life changing care and — one day — come closer to providing a cure.

Any donations, however small, are so appreciated.

Thank you,

Beth & Alex