What is Motor Neurone Disease:

Motor Neurone Disease, or MND for short, affects the Nerves that send messages to the muscles. For those diagnosed with MND, these messages gradually stop reaching the muscles which leads the muscles to weaken, stiffen and waste, which can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink, breathe, think and behave, 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, progressive and there is currently no cure or treatments.

Zoe’s story

In 2020, Zoe was training with the TA, starting to get involved with local politics, running her own business and a mum to her two daughters, Charlie and Darcy.

During the first Covid lockdown, Zoe needed an emergency operation following a slipped disc in her back which caused partial paralysis of her legs, requiring subsequent operations and procedures to try and fix this.

Symptoms continued to develop, although these no longer seemed relevant to the operation.These were investigated over a long and intrusive period and eventually the worst case scenario was confirmed in April 2022 when Zoe was diagnosed with MND. 

Zoe is faced with a daily battle adjusting to this disease and the decline in her health but this has not changed her character. In true Zoe style, rather than  succumb to her MND, she is making her mark by raising awareness of MND and how little treatment there is available for the c.5,000 adults living with MND in the UK.

When Zoe, her daughter, Charlie and her sister, Lizzy all received Skydives as presents, it was a no brainer that we would work together to try and raise money for the MND Association in Zoe’s name so that this is not every sufferers outlook.We will all make the big jump in May at various locations across England.All funds raised will be donated directly to the West London branch of the MND Association who have been supporting Zoe. The MND Association focus on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those people living with or affected by MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Please donate if you can, send some positive vibes and share, share, share Zoe’s story. Follow her story and fundraising efforts on her Instagram @mnd_over_matter

Comments from the divers:

Zoe: 

No one should be told those words “sorry there’s nothing we can do! Go home & put your affairs in order.” The only way we can cure this cruel disease is to raise funding & awareness! 1 in 300 people will get MND & it’s on the rise! Let’s beat this disease together. 

Charlie:

‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid?’ My mum (Zoe) has always been fearless, and MND hasn’t and will not change that. Her strength empowers me everyday to try new things and challenge myself. Being comfortable just isn’t in our vocabulary. So thank you mum for pushing me and showing me that life is too short to be afraid.

Lizzy:

My sister, Zoe, has always been my role model. Her dedication to her goals and dreams is unbelievable and it is an honour to help her achieve her MND goal, even though I am not so secretly terrified of this one!

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