In June 2015 my nephew David aged 30 was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. MND is a fatal,rapidly progressive disease affecting the brain and spinal cord. It attacks the nerves that control movement and can leave victims unable to move talk and eventually breathe.

MND kills five people every day in the UK, half within 14 months of diagnosis, affecting up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. There is no cure.

I am incredibly proud of my nephew - before his diagnosis in June 2014 he ran the whole length of Hadrians Wall a distance of 70 miles in a single day. That same fortitude, strength and determination carries on and David continues to achieve great things alongside his amazing wife Phil. They married shortly after his diagnosis, a most beautiful, joyful and moving occasion. Since then they have raised over £12,000 for MND with a trek up mount Kilimanjaro and have faced the challenges of Davids worsening condition with incredible courage, and desire to live life to the full and I am inspired by their tremendous spirit,strength, and love.

David is now in a wheelchair and needs full time care, but thanks to his Eye gaze technology he can speak, read, write emails and continue writing children's books for which he has a great gift. His first book 'The Homeless Bee and me' was published by Friends of the Earth in November 2015 - another proud moment in his story.

The Great North Run is our opportunity to show some of that same spirit.  Family and friends, runners seasoned and new will be hoping to raise a great amount of money to support the work of the Motor Neurone Disease Association who have already contributed massively to support David and Phil and for so many more sufferers of MND.

Please help our efforts to contribute to fund this vital work, improving care and support for people with MND, their families and carers from all communities.Raising funds for groundbreaking research, new treatments and bringing closer a cure for MND.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.