Thanks for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page. 

In November 2021 my Dad, Bob Kilmurray, passed away from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) after battling the illness for 16 years. During this time it was awful to see someone who had been so active and energetic slowly deteriorate, plus watch the strain it put on my Mum who was my Dad’s full-time carer for the last few years of his life.

I really wanted to do something in memory of my Dad, to support others out there like my Mum, and also to help the fight against MS. Running had always been a big part of my Dad’s life and in 1983 he ran the London Marathon (see the picture of him crossing the line in the gallery above!), so what better event to complete than this year’s London Marathon whilst raising money for a great cause.

MS Society

MS is an unpredictable and incurable condition that affects people's nervous systems. It disrupts the messages sent from the brain to the rest of the body, causing a loss of function over time. It can attack suddenly or progress steadily, bringing a range of symptoms which can include sight loss, incontinence, fatigue and mobility problems. No-one with MS can be sure when or how it will affect them next.

The MS Society fund vital research into the causes of MS and possible treatments. They also provide a helpline service for people like my Mum, answering the calls of those looking for advice and support. They believe that together, we are strong enough to stop MS.

Here’s how your money can help:

£5 – will pay for laboratory essentials such as petri dishes, latex gloves and microscope slides. All these things are essential to scientists’ work in stopping MS.

£50 – will pay for 10 calls to the MS Society helpline, so they can be there for people who need them the most

£100 - is enough to process 4 blood samples to extract information about genes and the immune system. This is vital when testing out new treatments.

£250 - is enough to run an MRI scanner for an hour and provide detailed images of the brain, which is crucial for understanding MS progression

If you would like to find out more about MS, what it does to the body and treatments against it, you can go to the MS Society website here: https://www.mssociety.org.uk

Every donation, no matter how big or small, means a massive amount to me, my family, and everyone else living with or affected by MS, so please dig deep and support my efforts in supporting this great charity.

Thank you so much,

Tom