John cycled across Scotland in his younger years and was very active throughout his life: walking and hiking over numerous paths, hills and mountains with his family in tow.

In recent years, John's right hand and arm became extremely rigid. His balance and mobility were severely compromised and resulted in numerous falls.

After multiple consultations, he was finally diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), which is a rare debilitating disease that is extremely hard to diagnose correctly. It is so rare that even people in the medical profession have not heard of this cruel disease.

As the PSP progressed, John's speech and ability to swallow were also badly affected and ultimately he totally lost his independence.

John celebrated his 80th birthday in January of this year, and he slipped peacefully away on 12th July 2024.

The family wish to raise awareness of PSP and support active research, and we would be very grateful for any donations to the cause.

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PSP is a complex neurological condition that progressively affects movement, balance, vision, speech, and swallowing. It gets its full name because it is a condition that progresses and gets worse over time (progressive); it damages the parts of the brain that control eye movements (supranuclear) and causes muscle weakness (palsy).

The Jeffrey Young Research Programme for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Research has been established at the University of Edinburgh thanks to a generous donation by a family member, whose uncle was affected by the devastating effects of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

The Anne Rowling Clinic delivers research and trials for people with neurodegenerative diseases including, multiple sclerosis (MS), motor neuron disease (MND), Parkinson’s (PD) and cognitive disorders (problems with memory, thinking and understanding).

This Scotland-wide research gives people living with neurodegenerative conditions the chance to take part in research studies and in doing so, be part of innovations and discoveries that will have a positive impact for the future.

The Anne Rowling Clinic was founded by author J.K. Rowling and has charitable status through the University of Edinburgh Development Trust.