Hi, I’m Colette and I wanted to thank you for visiting my fundraising page. 

I have a long-standing passion for running so am thrilled to announce that I will be running the 2023 London Marathon for PSPA!

I hold this charity very closely to my heart and therefore am determined to raise not only money, but also awareness for their cause.

But I can’t do it without you.

Why do I want to raise money for PSPA?

In 2006, my dad turned 60. He finally retired and was settling down when his life began to drastically change.

After being diagnosed with a hiatus hernia, my dad then proceeded to discover he had bowel cancer. Chemo was imperative for him, but whilst in hospital he contracted MRSA, this delayed his recovery. My dad began to loose his balance and fell regularly.
Further blood tests revealed he now had kidney failure and needed a transplant. As you can imagine, my dad rapidly lost a severe amount of weight and was soon diagnosed as coeliac.
5 years on, his body rejected the kidney transplant. He had to be dialysed. It was at this time he was diagnosed with PSP, a disease we knew nothing about.

My dad struggled with a stiff neck which started to have an effect on his voice. Despite seeing a speech and therapy team, it got worse. He became incredibly impulsive and was no longer able to walk or communicate.

My dad’s symptoms progressed so much so that he lost his battle with PSP.


PSP Progressive Supranuclear Palsy 

Often misdiagnosed for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Dementia. It is an uncommon brain disorder where all movement in the body gradually shuts down. There is no cure.

My plight is to help raise awareness of the symptoms, the main cause for someone being misdiagnosed. These include;
    ⁃    Loss of balance (particularly falling backward)
    ⁃    Impulsive behaviour
    ⁃    Irritability
    ⁃    Muscle stiffness (especially in the neck)
    ⁃    Difficulty swallowing
    ⁃    Slurred speech

PSPA provides critical support and information for people living with PSP whilst also funding ground-breaking research to ultimately find a cure.

My dad was a fighter. He never complained and soldiered on, but I made a promise to him before he passed that I would run a marathon for him in aid of PSPA because too many families will suffer without their help.

By raising awareness and funds for this worthy charity, together we can work to educate more people on what PSP is and how to look out for the symptoms. We can provide the proper support and care these families and their loved ones need.

I would greatly appreciate your support on my journey with PSPA. I’m going to need all the help and encouragement possible and am grateful for any donation you can spare, no matter how big or small. Your contribution will make a difference.

Thank you

PSPA is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the lives of people living with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD). We provide information and support for people affected by PSP & CBD whilst funding research into the causes, treatment, and eventually a cure. Together we can stop PSP & CBD in their tracks.