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Nigel's MND Support Fund

One year ago, Nigel Nattress was an outgoing person, having adventures and doing various activities with his children, Florence (20), Jacob (18), Sam (11) and Harry (9). He enjoyed life and regularly met friends after work at the Grey Horse in Consett, his favourite watering hole, which is how i got to know him a few years ago. He was a history teacher, loved by all the students he taught and highly respected by his colleagues.

Then he started feeling unwell.

After several months and various tests, Nigel was diagnosed with Parkinson's early this year, but despite being prescribed various different medications that should have helped his situation, he continued to deteriorate at an alarming rate.

When he was diagnosed, I and a few other regulars from the pub organised a sponsored walk, iron man challenge and beer belly run, which raised just over £5500 for Parkinson's UK.

The community spirit in our local is amazing but we are now all asking for more direct help for Nigel as he has actually been misdiagnosed!  

Two weeks ago, after being referred for a second opinion, he is now under a new consultant at a different hospital and it has been confirmed that he actually has an aggressive form of Motor Neurone Disease.

He's no longer able to communicate without the aid of a tablet PC and even then, the motor functions prevent anything other than a prolonged conversation. He's unable to walk unaided and struggles with eating and drinking, both of which lead to regular bouts of choking.

He and his family are obviously devastated, and as a result, friends have come together to help make Nigel's life easier and more comfortable, enabling him to spend time with his family, as a family, as the disease takes its hold.

Despite efforts made by his family, the wheels of the NHS are moving very slowly and he is in desperate need of help now. So we are fundraising to obtain not just comforts, but necessities for Nigel.

He's very much in need of a downstairs bedroom and wet room of his own, ideally with a hoist linking the two. It's unsafe for him to climb stairs and his family aren't able to ensure his (or their!) safety in helping him. As well as the funds to carry out the conversion, with it being a rented house, it would eventually need to be returned to it's current state and we estimate the cost of this to be around £12,000.

He also needs a powered neuro wheelchair to assist his getting about and approximate cost of that is £6,000.

At present, because he chokes when lying down, he sleeps in an armchair that he struggles to get in and out of. Therefore, a specialised surgical bed is also required to ensure he gets a good and comfortable night's sleep and an estimate of cost for one of those is £10,000.

A motorised armchair to help him get in and out of his seat would be an added bonus for Nigel so as he can relax with his family in the lounge, and we estimate the cost of one of those to be around £2,000.

To help those who care for him every day also have their own life, he will also need carers and respite. This will be an ongoing cost to the family who have lost so much already through a single illness, and lost it so rapidly, possibly due to repeated misdiagnosis.

Your help would mean the world to Nigel and his family as they have no idea how long they have with him and want to make that time as comfortable and enjoyable as they can.

Words cannot express our thanks for you reading Nigel's story and supporting our amazing friend.

Donations 

  • Vicky King
    • £10 
    • 8 yrs
  • Greg Lowery
    • £900 (Offline)
    • 8 yrs
  • Grey Horse - Xmas Raffle
    • £394 (Offline)
    • 8 yrs
  • Consett Junior School
    • £2,745 (Offline)
    • 8 yrs
  • Grey Horse
    • £305 (Offline)
    • 8 yrs

Organizer

Michelle Simpson
Organizer

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