Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm running the London Marathon to fundraise for the MSA Trust, who are the leading charity supporting people affected by multiple system atrophy (MSA) – a rare neurological disease with no known cause or cure. It's so rare that it's estimated there are only 3,300 people living with the illness in the UK which makes getting the right support for the condition difficult to come by.

For those that don't know, Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects adult men and women. It is caused by degeneration or atrophy (shrinking) of nerve cells in several (or multiple) areas of the brain. This can result in problems with multiple bodily functions such as speech, movement, balance and blood pressure control.

Unfortunately my Dad is suffering with this terrible disorder and it's now got to the stage where he's facing significant difficulty with most everyday tasks. He needs to be hoisted out of bed to get into his wheelchair, he struggles to use his phone because he hands don't work very well, giving him chronic pain and he finds speaking very difficult. He also struggles with eating and drinking as his condition leads him to choke. His quality of life has been totally destroyed by the disorder and it's also had a huge impact on my mum who cares for him and she is suffering from Parkinson's.

It's so unfair what's happening to my Dad, he's always been the one that would do anything for anyone and when other people his age are enjoying their well earned retirement, he's unfortunately unable to leave the house.

Please can I ask for your support in donating and raising awareness of MSA, hopefully the money raised will go towards supporting those with MSA, giving them access to the help they need, whilst also funding much needed research.

Thank you,

Andy