On Sunday the 26th of May, I am running the Edinburgh Half Marathon for a charity that means a lot to me and my family.

Over 130,000 people live with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the UK. MS is an autoimmune neurological condition in which the body attacks its own central nervous system, causing a range of unpredictable symptoms which vary in severity and progression. It is a lifelong condition and can cause problems with balance, vision, walking, spasms, tremors, fatigue and pain, to name but a few. 

My mum (the original Alexa™️) was diagnosed with MS in 2013 and we saw firsthand how debilitating the symptoms can be. However, thanks to the world-leading research funded by the MS Society, she has had various drug treatments to help control these symptoms and now (very impressively) cycles 14 miles every single day, rain or shine 🚴‍♀️. 

Her determination to stay physically fit despite having a chronic neurological condition has inspired me to put my trainers back on and raise funds for the MS Society. I hope this will help them to continue the invaluable research and support that they offer, and carry on supporting people just like my mum. All donations will be very much appreciated 🌟

How your donation could help:

 - £5 could pay for laboratory essentials such as petri dishes, latex gloves and microscope slides.

 - £10 could help pay for their MS Helpline team to answer a call from someone who needs their help

 - £20 could pay for an hour of research to help understand and manage MS fatigue. 

- £30 could process one blood sample which could give researchers crucial information about genes and the immune system as they search for new treatments.

 - £50 could pay for an hour on a microscope, so scientists can study cells and tissue in greater detail and improve their understanding of the biology of MS.