Your life can change at the blink of an eye!

My friend Julie knows this first hand. On a day in mid-December, while getting ready for the Christmas Markets, she fell to the floor having a seizure. She has never had a seizure before in her life, it was such a scary moment, and one that has changed her life. After many doctor appointments, scans and consultations, they were struggling to find a diagnosis, and therefor had no idea how to treat Julie, yet the seizures were still coming, sometimes totaling 15 in a day. Julie, a fiercely independent person couldn’t be left alone and had no idea what was happening to her.

Through her own research and talking with the doctors, she was diagnosed with a condition called FND, Functioning Neurological Disorder. It can show up in many ways, and for some is fleeting and for others can last months or years. With no real medical intervention Julie started researching options and found, through talking with others going through similar experiences, that oxygen therapy could be successful in helping alleviate her symptoms, allowing her to return to a life more normal. This is where the Grampian Multuple Sclerosis Centre comes in…

The Grampian Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre is one of more than 60 centres across the country aiming to improve the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The Grampian centre opened in 1983 to provide oxygen therapy for people with MS in the northeast of Scotland and their services have expanded to offer reflexology, physiotherapy and massage to our clients. They treat other conditions, including fibromyalgia, cancer, burns and sports injuries.

Julie reached out to them and was welcomed literally with open arms. Julie attended every day, when she could, to receive one hour of oxygen, over a matter of weeks the seizures started to alleviate, allowing Julie more independence, things we all take for granted, popping to the shops, grabbing a coffee, walking her doggies on her own.

Julies parents, her amazing friend Gill or I would go in with her and were always treated with such care. I looked forward to seeing them all, the chat and the cup of tea and biscuit. They have created a community. This centre is run by the most caring of volunteers, with no judgement and oodles of patience and they rely completely on fundraising and grants. Julie, her family, friends and I are determined to raise some much-needed funds to say thank you for helping our bestie Julie, for being so wonderful and to ensure that anyone else going through this can find the same support. What happened to Julie could happen to any one of us at any time.

So, for this reason, I am dedicating my Chicago marathon to the Grampian Multiple Sclerosis Centre. On October 13th 2024 I will be at the start-line… I am on a mission to do all 6 World Major Marathons, this would be my 4th. I hope you can join me in making this run extra special, and powering my through my training and on the day knowing together we are making a difference.

Thank you in advance for your support.