Hi, I’m Catrin. I live in North Wales. I am a proud daughter to my amazing dad, who is living with Motor Neurone Disease. My hobby is long distance walking along the old pilgrimage routes of Spain (the Caminos) to Santiago de Compostela. Before now I have always walked for the joy, the sense of freedom and the camaraderie with fellow pilgrims.

This time it’s different.

Some months ago, Charles my father, a retired sheep farmer who spent his whole life on the mountains of Gwynedd, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. At the moment he isn’t too bad, but we all know how this vile ailment progresses. About three weeks ago we were chatting when he said - and this is typical of the man he is - always thinking of others ….

“I’ve had a good and long life so I’m not bitter about this MND thing. It is what it is. But it breaks my heart thinking of the young ones who get it. The ones with their lives ahead of them, the ones with little kids. That is so cruel.”

He looked at me,

“Whilst there’s still time,” he continued, “Do you think you could do another walk? For me and all the others?”

That’s why this Camino is different. I’ve never walked the 800km of the Camino Frances, from Saint Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees to Santiago in Galicia. This time I’ll be walking for Charles and all his fellow sufferers. I’m raising money for the MNDA charity so they can provide custom wheelchairs, communication devices, support for families, and of course, finance research that will hopefully make this disease a thing of the past.

Please support me. Every donation, every penny will help immensely, providing comfort to those afflicted and, one day, consign MND to history.

Helo, Catrin ydw i. Dw i’n dod o Ogledd Cymru, ac yn ferch falch i'm tad sy'n byw gyda Chlefyd Niwronau Modur (MND). Yn fy amser sbar dw i’n cael pleser o gerdded teithiau hir ar hyd hen lwybrau pererindod yn Sbaen, (y Caminos) i Santiago de Compostela. Tan rwan, rydw i wedi cerdded am y pleser, am y teimlad o ryddid a’r gymdeithas a phererinion eraill.

Ond y tro hwn, mae’n wahanol.

Ychydig fisoedd yn ôl, cafodd fy nhad, Charles, ffermwr defaid wedi ymddeol a dreuliodd ei fywyd cyfan ar fynyddoedd Gwynedd, ddiagnosis o Glefyd yr Neurynnau Symudol (MND). Ar hyn o bryd dydy e ddim yn rhy ddrwg, ond rydyn ni gyd yn gwybod sut mae’r afiechyd datblygu. Tua tair wythnos yn ôl, wrth sgwrsio dywedodd – a dyma’r dyn i’r dim, wastad yn meddwl am fobl eraill…

‘Dw i wedi cael bywyd hir a da, dw i ddim yn chwerw am yr MND yma. Ond mae’n torri nghalon i feddwl am y rhai ifanc sy’n ei gael. Y rhai sydd â’u bywydau o’u blaen, y rhai â phlant bach. Mae hynny mor greulon.’

Edrychodd arna i,

‘Tra bod amser gyda ni,’ meddai, ‘wyt ti’n meddwl y gelli di wneud taith arall? I mi a’r lleill?’

Dyna pam mae cerdded y Camino yma’n wahanol. Dw i erioed wedi cerdded yr 800km o’r Camino Frances, o Saint Jean Pied de Port yn y Pyreneau Ffrengig i Santiago yng Ngalicia. Y tro hwn, dw i ddim yn cerdded drosof fi fy hun – dw i’n cerdded dros Charles a’i gyd-dioddefwyr. Dw i’n codi arian i elusen MNDA sy’n rhoi cadeiriau olwyn arbennigol, dyfeisiau cyfarthrebu, cynhaliaeth i deuluoedd ag ariannu ymchwil fydd rhyw ddydd yn gwneud MND yn afiechyd o’r gorffenol.

A wnewch chi fy nghefnogi plis? Bydd pob cyfraniad, pob ceiniog, yn helpu’r achos, yn rhoi cysur i’r rhai sy’n dioddef, a, rhyw ddydd, danfon MND i ebargofiant.