4x4x48 for Phil. Fighting Motor Neurones Disease.

I have set myself the task to run the 4x4x48 challenge. This involves running 4 miles, every 4 hours for 48hours, which is a total of 48 miles in 2 days. I am doing this for my friend Phil Bourdon, 33,  who has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. I will start this on Friday 5th of March at 8pm and will complete my final lap at 8pm on Sunday the 7th of March. I will be posting each lap live on Facebook, so you can all follow me throughout the challenge. Please take the time to read Phil's story below and if you can support with any donations they will be very much appreciated.

This time last year Philip, then 33, was a hard-working dad, loving husband to Stephenie and father to two beautiful children, then aged 5 and 1. Little did they know what was about to hit them. Whilst Covid 19 was slowly having a terrible effect on, and devastating, so many lives, it was a different disease that was to crash into our world. ALS also known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is an uncommon and ultimately fatal disease. Most usually affecting older people although as we have found with Philip it can affect any age. 
 

With MND, messages from the brain gradually stop reaching the muscles. The muscles weaken and affect, mobility, speech, eating and breathing and currently has no cure. You may be familiar with the stories of  sports personalities, whose own stories have been followed by the BBC recently.   Whilst we remain hopeful that one of the many research programmes and drug trials will work, for now our aim is to help Philip and his family live the best life they can. 
 

Philip's health is deteriorating, his speech is slurred and his mobility has decreased significantly leaving him reluctant to leave the house even for essential reasons. Life would be hard enough but the Covid lockdown has added a further cruel blow isolating him from the support of family and friends. Further strain is caused by their home being unsuitable for his changing needs. Stephenie is a care home worker and is trying to continue to work a few hours a week, to help earn some income, whilst caring for her family. Emotionally and financially their life is difficult but they are both facing life headlong, as positively as possible, dedicated to each other and their children.


If you can help by giving even the smallest amount this will be spent on things to make their lives a little easier, equipment for the home and travel and, as soon as the government allows, on days out and hopefully a holiday on which to make lasting memories and finally to add some security for the family.
 

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Increasing the awareness and understanding of MND is vitally important.