Jen and Fiona’s Big Walk 2024
Jen and Fiona are taking on the Big Walk to collectively walk 60 miles to commemorate their Dad’s 60th birthday. Their dad Andrew very sadly passed away from motor neurone disease last year. Together, they have taken on a number of challenges to raise funds and awareness of this devastating disease.
My father passed away from MND in October 2023. This year would be his 60th birthday and it seemed too perfect an opportunity to miss as between us, my sister and I will walk 60 miles in his memory. He took part in clinical trials to do his part to help towards finding a cure for MND and we will do our bit this year in the Big Walk!
Nothing prepares you for watching a loved one deteriorate in such a way. It was heartbreaking to see my dad no longer able to do the things he enjoyed because he lost use of his hands first. It was very difficult to keep up with the rate of deterioration as there is so little known about it.
We always felt like MND was one step ahead of us. If we can raise funds to further research into this disease, hopefully, in time we can get ahead of MND."
Jen Horsfield
The Big Walk isn’t the first challenge Jen and Fiona have taken on to raise money for MND research. The sisters completed 3000 squats in November 2021, followed by 5000 squats in November in 2022! Fiona has also recently taken on the ºù«Ӱҵ Half Marathon.
When I'm doing these challenges, I usually think about how lucky I am that my body is capable of doing these challenges, and how I feel good for doing something for those who aren't capable due to having MND.
I have not taken part in the Big Walk before. I've heard from colleagues who have done it before that it's a fabulous day to be a part of so I'm really looking forward to it!
I'm very conscious of how long 30 miles is to do in one day! But I do like a challenge and it will mean a lot to me to do this one. I think it will be great to be walking this route and we should see some lovely places as we go along and it'll be great to see so many of us working towards the same goal!
It's been great to see so much more awareness of MND, especially with Rob Burrows and Kevin Sinfield, as that will also hopefully mean more research and better understanding of the condition."
Fiona Bingham
ºù«Ӱҵ researchers are working tirelessly to find a cure for this debilitating condition. Their ongoing research hopes to discover more effective treatments to improve the lives of patients living with the disease.
With your support, a much needed breakthrough in MND will come sooner, improving the lives of patients long into the future.
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ºù«Ӱҵ the appeal
MND affects around 5,000 people in the UK every year. It kills six people in the UK every day, with a third of those diagnosed losing their lives within just a year. Tragically, people die from this devastating disease because there are currently no treatments that can stop it. But there's hope.
Your gift in support of motor neurone disease research will make a difference now. It will support our researchers at SITraN to develop treatments and advances that positively impact the lives of patients and their families.
SITraN has demonstrated that having clinicians and researchers working alongside each other, taking what they learn in the labs straight to patients, really works. But in part due to its great success, the facility is facing chronic pressures for space and is operating beyond capacity, delaying advancements.
Now, a world-class sister facility will be built alongside SITraN that will double capacity, grow research and drug discovery programmes, and build on promising areas such as cell and gene therapy.
We know that SITraN’s next chapter will be written in part thanks to our incredible supporter community.
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