3 years ago I ran the Hackney Half marathon.  Emotionally it was difficult as my Mum had passed away months earlier, and as I went round, I promised myself that I would run it the following year for Charity, to raise money to help those suffering from the disease that so affected her life.  I may not have done it the following year, but here I am, trying to help Parkinson's suffers and their families, by raising money for Parkinson's UK.

Most people who are diagnosed with Parkinson's (and there are around 150,000 in the U.K.), are over the age of 50.  My Mum however, was diagnosed in her 30's, and we as a family had to watch as she changed into a completely different person slowly through the years.  She was often confused, immobile, worried and anxious.  She would shake so much at times that a simple task was impossible, and at others, could force no movement at all. She lost control of her voice, her hands and legs.  It is a terrible degenerative disease that can rob a person of what makes them special.  And she would not have been alone, as many throughout the country will be going through the same thing right now. 

There is currently no cure, though there is lots of research being done into helping sufferers.  There are also lots of community groups, the Enfield branch being one, that offer advice, assistance and support to sufferers and their families.  Your donations would be spent helping both of these causes, ones that I can personally say deserve as much support as possible for the help that they give.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  I am aiming to raise £400, which is £30 a mile, and whatever you could donate will be gratefully received!  Please remember to use gift Aid as well!

UPDATE - I can’t believe how generous everyone has been! After hitting my target within 72 hours, I’ve decided to be adventurous and raise my target to £58 a mile as Mum was 58 when she passed away. It’ll be a difficult target to hit but with your help, we can do it! 

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.