Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In June 2014, our younger son David, a marathon-runner, triathlete and Iron Man competitor then aged 29, ran the length of Hadrian's Wall from Carlisle to Gateshead, a distance of 70 miles, in a single day. 

Just twelve months later, in June 2015, following a year of perplexing
symptoms, including feeling increasingly exhausted and weak, David was diagnosed to be suffering from Motor Neurone Disease.

There is at present no known cure for MND. It 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 to breathe.

David died peacefully in his sleep at home in Newcastle on 28th September 2016 after a harrowing fifteen-month battle with MND. To the last, David continued to be the same immensely kind, generous, sociable, ironic person he had been before MND struck.

Throughout David's nightmare journey living with MND, he and his wife Philippa were both astonishingly brave, and their example continues to inspire their friends and family to channel the pain of losing David so young, and in such a brutal manner, into practical involvement in the work of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The MNDA is the only organisation that exists specifically to support people with MND and their families and carers. It also funds and promotes research into causes and treatment for MND, and campaigns to raise awareness of the needs of those suffering from it.

David's family and friends have benefited such a lot from the expert advice and support of the MNDA. In return, we want to contribute to the ongoing search for treatment and a cure for MND, in the hope that one day nobody else will have to suffer from this awful disease.

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 MNDA. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

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.

For whatever financial contribution you are able to make towards my Great North Run this September in memory of David, and in support of MNDA's ultimate goal - a world free from Motor Neurone Disease - thank you.