My name is Jo Squires-Parkin and I am running the Great North Run 2018, a half marathon, to raise funds for MNDA (the Motor Neurone Disease Association).
In 2016, I lost the eldest of my five sisters to Motor Neurone Disease and it was heart-breaking to see the devastating impact that this fatal, rapidly progressing disease, that kills a third of people within a year and over half within two years of diagnosis, had on my sister. With a horrifying pace, she became ‘locked’ inside her own body most powerfully described to me a like being in a small room whose walls close in by a few inches each day taking away people’s physical capacity to move, communicate or swallow whilst keeping full capacity of mind and senses – most people’s worst nightmare. And yet, sadly, there is no cure and perhaps more shockingly in this day and age, no advancement on a treatment provided 22 years ago.
As a rare disease with no government funding, the MNDA is wholly reliant on voluntary donations and contributions to help provide practical support and care for those with MND and much needed funding for research and raising of awareness for this rare disease.
In my voluntary role as an Association Visitor with the MNDA, I have the privilege of starting to get to know Syd Howarth, who was sadly diagnosed with MND relatively recently, and who I find, as most people in and around Newton Aycliffe will already be aware, was awarded an MBE for a ‘Lifetime of Service’ to the people of Newton Aycliffe. It would be a privilege to run the Great North Run this year with his help in raising as much funding as we can for this devastating disease.
Donations can be anything from £1 as every little helps for practical support and reserach at the same time as raising awareness of MND.
Should anyone like to sponsor me, you can look online at my Just Giving which gives you more information by using:
https://www.justgiving.com/jognr2018
Or going to www.justgiving.com and then typing Jo Squires-Parkin into the search box at the top.
Alternatively using your mobile at no cost to yourself by texting JOSP57 followed by an amount restricted to £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to the number 70070.
