Steven's fundraiser for Scottish Huntington's Association
Steven Henderson is raising money for Scottish Huntington's Association
Story
So....here we go again!
I have been lucky enough to be offered a place in the 2024 London Marathon and I am delighted to be running and raising funds on behalf of Scottish Huntington's Association. This will be the 6th year that I will have run this and one that I am very proud to be running on behalf of SHA.
Most of you will know why I raise funds and run for Scottish Huntington's (SHA) but for those that don't know, Huntington's (HD) is a disease that has affected many of my family members as far back as I can remember and I have watched how Huntington's can remove quality of life from what most people these days would consider to be a relatively young age.
Huntington's is a devastating neurological condition that causes certain nerve cells in the brain to waste away. Over the course of 15 - 20 years - from the 1st appearance of symptoms - people with the condition lose their ability to walk, talk, eat and care for themselves. Their ability to think make decisions and exercise judgement can also be affected and they can also suffer emotional and mental health problems.
In Scotland 1 /100 people are currently affected by Huntington's disease, with the North East of Scotland having the most recorded cases of HD in the world. Most commonly, symptoms appear between the age of 35 and 44 and consequently between 4000 and 6000 other individuals are thought to be at high risk of developing HD the future.
HD is also hereditary. Each child of a person born with the condition has a 50% chance of inheriting the same faulty gene. Although advancements are being made, there is still no cure.
As always the aim is to raise as much money as possible (again preferably more than the last few years) to go towards research into not just advancements and preventative medication, but an actual cure.
I have been extremely grateful to have been supported by so many people over the last few years, and I appreciate that these times are hard for many, but I ask that you please give what you can for such a worthy cause which is very close to my family.