Sophie Acreman
Sophie's Super Stroll
Fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease Association
Story
Thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
After struggling with a 'dodgy leg' for most of 2021, in May 2022 my Mum was officially diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. Needless to say, this came as a massive shock to my family, and it was something we had to get to grips with really quickly. By July 2022 Mum needed 24 hour care and she made the decision to move out of our beautiful family home, where she had lived for 45 years, and into a nursing home where her illness progressed at an alarming rate.
In June 2023 I was due to do the Lake District 100k Ultra Challenge, in May I decided to postpone my challenge due to my Mum's condition deteriorating so rapidly and sadly we lost her on 13th June 2023, three days after my Ultra Challenge was due to take place. At this point I was close to raising over £4000 and I really wanted to do something to honour my Mum and the people who had so generously sponsored me. On the weekend of 22nd July last year I decided to go it alone and do my own 100k challenge in Dorset, where my Mum lived and I am from originally. This is one of the hardest things I have ever done both physically and mentally and while I had the support of my wonderful family and friends throughout both days, due to this being a solo challenge rather than the organised Action Challenge event, I spent large amounts of the 2 days on my own walking the Jurassic Coast and streets of Wimborne and Bournemouth. I was thrilled to complete Sophie's Southern Stroll, as the event became known, but I still wanted to complete an official challenge too. This year on the 4th and 5th May I will once again be walking 100k, this time as a part of the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge.
MND is fatal.
THERE IS NO CURE.
It affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time, with 6 people being diagnosed every day.
MND can leave people locked in a failing body, unable to move, talk, swallow, and eventually breathe. It will kill a third of people within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis.
In Mum's case, lost everything we all take for granted every day. She could hardly move, she couldn’t speak and had to use aids to communicate with us as best she could, and she has lost her independence to do the things we all do without thinking about, including dressing, eating and washing.
Mum was always so active and healthy. The photos here show us enjoying many walks to places including our beloved Old Harry Rocks and the Lake District which is now my home.
This is why I want to raise at least another £2000 for the MND Association, who supported Mum and all my family so brilliantly, by walking 100k over two days this May. I hope to be able to raise funds to find a cure for this cruel disease and ensure no one faces MND alone.
I know times are tough but even if you can give £1 this will make a massive difference to the MNDA and here are some of the ways it can help:
- £10 provides an information pack for a newly diagnosed person with MND, so they know what to expect and how to access support
- £27 funds an MND Connect helpline ad