Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My first experience of the devastating impact that multiple sclerosis can have was in the late-1970's, when I was a student at North East London Polytechnic. Dr John Harrison was one of our lecturers.  He was a young man himself and very much 'one of the lads'. He also clearly knew his stuff and was respected by his students and colleagues alike. I cannot now remember the full circumstances but I recall that he went long-term sick and we were made aware that he had been diagnosed with MS. Tragically, we subsequently learned that he had died, apparently taking his own life. 

This had a profound impact on me and, since that time, I have always supported MS charities. More recently, I have learnt that a member of my own family has been diagnosed, thus reinforcing my desire to raise much-needed funds for MS-UK.  There is no doubt in my mind that these funds will be put to incredibly good use, supporting and informing MS sufferers and their families.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system.  It is an auto-immune disease, where the immune system turns on itself, attacking and damaging the nerve cells. Symptons are unpredictable and can differ widely in their severity, from patient to patient and from time to time.  MS is usually diagnosed in adults between the ages of 20 and 40, although both children and older adults can develop MS.   For more information, please visit the MS-UK website from the link on my page.

Thank you for your support.

Peter Burt