In April I'll be running my third marathon (this time in Manchester) for Motor Neurone Disease Association.

I've chosen this charity because it holds a very special and deeply personal place in my heart.

In 2019 we lost Jane, my best friend's mum. I have many memories of Jane, namely her love for Celine Dion and Wimbledon, not to mention introducing me to the best potato salad EVER (I'm yet to find a better one), plus teaching me to cook spag bol with marmite (seriously, I've never looked back).

Jane was 58 when she developed an aggressive form of MND. There was less than a week between diagnosis and her passing. The symptoms were aggressive and the decline steep; able to walk at Easter but barely able to breathe in June. Maria drove miles everyday to care, cook, clothe and bathe her mum. It was heartbreaking to watch and none of us could quite believe just how quickly this savage disease took hold.

My other best friend's uncle is currently living with MND and everyday he battles with this brutal and cruel disease. Whilst his symptoms are slightly different to Jane's, he and his family struggle with its affects continually, so if there is anyway I can raise some money for further research - which is currently seriously underfunded - then I will.

There is no cure for MND - so any donations that you can make, will help fund the invaluable work that the MNDA do. Please give generously. 

About Motor Neurone Disease

MND is the short term for motor neurone disease, which affects the nerves known as motor neurones. These nerves are found in the brain and spinal cord and they help tell your muscles what to do. With motor neurone disease, known as MND, messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles. This leads the muscles to weaken, stiffen and waste, which can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. Some people also get changes to their thinking and behaviour, but the disease affects everyone differently. Not all symptoms will affect everyone, or in the same order. Symptoms also progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict.MND is life-shortening and there is no cure. Although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life. MND affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time. There is a 1 in 300 risk of getting MND across a lifetime. It can affect adults of any age, but is more likely to affect people over 50.