Three years ago I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease after getting some tests for slowness of movement of my right arm/hand. Was a pretty devastating thing to hear at 49 years old. I was told over the phone by a Locum GP during Covid. Then came the really tough bit - telling my family. Never something you want to tell your mum & dad (or wife, kids and sister). Family is everything, tears were shed, but we move on. PD seems to be on the rise and affecting people younger. What is it? It's a Neurological condition where certain neurons in the brain die off and stop producing dopamine. As dopamine is the brain to muscle communication medium, it means movement problems and can affect things like speech, swallowing, mood, etc. It affects my typing/writing/guitar playing, my toes cramp up when running, foot can drag, and I can get really fatigued. I don't have the classic PD tremor, though I'm more susceptible to shaking when it's cold. I'm in good company - Muhammad Ali, Michael J Fox and Billy Connolly were/are fellow Parkies (Billy said he wished Parkinson had kept it to himself🤣). Unfortunately it's progressive and (currently) incurable. It's not all doom and gloom - more is known than before in terms of strategies to control symptoms through specific exercise, diet and lifestyle changes - and I'm sure as hell giving that stuff a bash. However right now there is no silver bullet and it can be a brutal disease in the latter stages of progression, but that's where these guys come in....

Cure Parkinson's are here for the cure. Cure Parkinson’s is working with urgency to find new treatments to slow, stop and reverse Parkinson’s.Their funding and innovation has redefined the field of Parkinson’s research, enabling the world’s leading researchers to prioritise the next generation of drugs for clinical trial. Together we will conquer Parkinson’s.

So myself and five good friends (Alan Wilkinson, Fraser Ainslie, Gary Miller, Neil Gourlay and Richie Vannett) are tackling a monster hiking challenge of summiting all 12 of the Munro's (3000ft mountains) of North Glen Shiel in 36 hours over 31st May / 1st June this year, to raise money for this great charity. I'll be pushing my body to it's limits to pull this off, but I'm determined to positively impact the research, and prove a point to myself - that this thing ain't got me beat!

Any pounds or pence you have would be really appreciated and may play a big role in reducing future suffering for millions.

Many thanks and best wishes,

Andy (& Alan, Fraser, Gary, Neil, Richie)