Alex lost his life to motor neurone disease in March 2022. He wrote this message to you just before he died.
In late 2018, my wife Laura and I stood together at the start line of the Transalpine Run. An epic 255km course lay ahead of us.
It felt like the biggest challenge we'd ever face together. We had no idea that soon after, we’d be told I was dying from motor neurone disease (MND).
It was one of the last runs I ever did. Now, I can’t even walk. My arms and hands have become so weak that I need help to eat. I can’t work. I can’t get out of bed, wash, or dress myself.
MND has taken almost everything from me. By the time you read this, it will have taken my life too.
I'd always taken care of my body - staying fit and eating well. But MND doesn't care about any of that. It can strike anyone and 1 in 300 of us will be diagnosed with it.
MND wastes away your muscles and stops you moving your own body. It progresses unpredictably and there is very little you can do to slow it down.
Worst of all, there is no cure. A diagnosis is a death sentence. That's why I'm asking for your help today, while I still can.
We have to find a way to beat MND. It's too late to save my life, but you could save the lives of thousands of other people in future and save their families the pain of losing a loved one so early.
In these final months of my life, there's not much I can do, but I can still use my story. I hope that's enough to convince you to make a donation to the MND Association today.
They're leading the charge in funding research to find treatments and even a cure for MND. And they help people like me, and our families, to cope too.
I wanted to see my young son and daughter grow up. I wanted to be there for them. I imagined a time when I'd be able to travel the world with my wife. I'd stored up hundreds of thoughts, big and small, about my future.
Now, MND has forced us to give up everything we'd ever hoped, dreamed and strived for. But I am sure of one thing. This nightmarish disease need not remain untreatable. Knowledge is advancing with each new research project, but more funding is needed to accelerate research towards a cure.
Will you be one of the people who makes that cure possible?
Please. Donate to the MND Association today and help prevent other families like mine from being torn apart by MND in the future.
Thank you,
Alex
We have to find a way to beat MND. Will you help?
Will you support world-class research and vital care?
Dr Nick Cole, Head of Research at the MND Association explains how your donation could help.
“We’re fighting MND on every front. We’re funding ground-breaking research that will mean we can one day save the lives of people like Alex. But MND researchers need your support to make that happen.
“And until we find a cure, we’ll need to keep providing life-changing support and practical advice to people diagnosed with this devastating disease, and their families. Will you help them with a donation too?”
