Great North Run 2024 For You Dad

hi everyone so I must be crazy but here I am and going to be running the 2024 Great North Run in memory of my dad and to support the most amazing charity Ataxia UK.

Back in 2011 my dad was the most active, hard working family man. He also never missed a Manchester United game home or away and for all that new him loved socialising with his friends by having a vodka and coke or two and having a good sing and dance until November of that year when we start noticing slight changes.

Dad started to stumble and things started affecting his balance with this a concern my mam and dad seeked medical help. My dad went through numerous scans and tests over the upcoming months with nothing coming back to determine why this had started to happen.

in 2012 we noticed that the balance was getting worse so he was then admitted to JCUH where he under went more tests and even had to do things with a panel of consultants watching to try and determine what the cause of his issues was.

In 2013 it my dad was diagnosed with cellarbeller ataxia.

we were told as a family that this was a very rare disease and at the time only two

people including my dad were diagnosed.

For people who aren’t aware Ataxia describes poor muscle control that causes clumsy movements. It can affect walking and balance, hand coordination, speech and swallowing, and eye movements. Ataxia usually results from damage to the part of the brain called the cerebellum or its connections. The cerebellum controls muscle coordination.

At the time because the disease was so rare in the UK no one knew the outcome of this disease.

unfortunately over the next two years we seen a massive decrease in my dad. From being an active, hard working family man his body started to shut down. My dad lost the ability to walk, speak, write and even pick up his own knifes and forks to eat his meals. Anyone that knew my dad and the person he was knew how frustrating this became. He went out to having a pipe fitted as ataxia also causes the muscles to shut down so we did not know whether he would be able to eat normal food.

unfortunately on the 26th of August 2015 my dad watched his beloved Manchester win on the tv and had his favourite tea and then at 9pm said to my mam I’m tired now Janet and she put him to bed as normal. When my mam woke up the next morning my dad had died peacefully in his sleep.

this was a massive shock to the family and he has been the biggest miss and left a hole in our hearts ever since.

Back when dad passed peacefully Ataxia was so rare and no one knew about it. There was no charities at the time and in 2016 my sister ran the GNR for brain research UK. As ataxia is becoming more common they have now set up a charity called Ataxia UK which is based in London.

Ataxia UK are the leading national charity in the UK for people affected by any type of ataxia. They fund research into finding treatments and cures, and offer advice, information and support to people affected by the condition.

This means so much to me and I would be so grateful if anyone can donate to this amazing charity.

Dad I love you always and this one’s for you

Thank you everyone xxx