Later this year, I will be taking part in a trek along (part of) the Great Wall of China to help to raise money for the MS Society.

My motivation for doing this is that my mum was diagnosed with MS in 2000. She has the progressive, degenerative form of the disease and as such has seen her symptoms worsen significantly in this time. It is difficult seeing someone what has always been active and an inspiration to others, having to be pushed around in a wheelchair and helped to do so much of day to day life. However, she is keen to keep life as normal as possible and will still do for others what she can.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition which affects around 100,000 people in the UK. Most people tend to be diagnosed between the ages of 20-40 and roughly 3 times as many women have MS as men. It is a condition of the central nervous system where the coating around the nerve fibres is damaged. Symptoms vary from person to person and can be chronic and unpredictable. Some people's MS symptoms develop and increase steadily over time, while for others they can come and go periodically. Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life and there is still no cure.

The MS Society is the UK's leading MS charity. They not only provide information and support, but also help to fund research into the disease.

Thank you so much for reading this. Please do donate whatever you can to help me to help the MS Society to continue their great work.