My Story

Around 14 years ago, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease after struggling with various bewildering symptoms for months. He had to stop working.

When he was seen by a specialist, they knew immediately what was causing all of this, but my dad had been none the wiser for so long! The fact is, people think of shaking and trembling when they think of Parkinson's - what they don't think of is freezing, stiffness, slowness, memory and thinking problems, difficulty sleeping, and depression. And that's just from the disease itself. What came next was yet more conditions and symptoms brought on by the medication. The tremor goes away, but with the drugs comes sudden changes in blood pressure, fainting, obessive compulsive behaviours and hallucinations. The meds have to be carefully managed and monitored, and yet still the Parkinson's symptoms gets worse over time.

My dad is now in his seventies and is barely able to walk alone or engage in conversation. My mum is an amazing carer and together they navigate this unbearable disease and everything it throws at them, but this is a full-time job with no pay and little respite. The work Parkinson's UK does helps people like my parents to better cope with daily life, but also work tirelessly to find - hopefully one day - a cure! 

I am running the London Marathon dressed as a brain cell to raise awareness and money for Parkinson's UK and to try and break a Guinness World Records title in the process. Please help me achieve this crazy thing by spurring me on with a donation! It will mean the world to me and my parents, and everyone suffering the blight of Parkinson's in one form or another - thank you so much!