Hello, my name is Jem.

In January 2025, we received the devastating news that my amazing Stepdad Dave, had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (ALS). I remember so much about that day when we were told as a family and feeling every emotion possible when he said the words ‘I have MND, there is no cure and this is terminal’. I remember the overwhelming look of sadness, grief, and pain on his face as he was telling us. He looked so frightened! I remember breaking down in tears, feeling helpless because I wanted to take the pain away from him and knew that I couldn’t help him! Having to sit down and tell my twin daughters (aged 14 at the time) that their Grandad has this incurable disease and that we didn’t know how much time we had left with him, was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. I remembered thinking ‘he won’t get to see them in their dresses when they attend their school leavers prom, he won’t be able to see their reactions when they tell him about their GCSE results, and he won’t have the chance to see his grandchildren grow up and experience special milestones with them.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive, life-shortening and terminal condition that eventually becomes fatal. It damages nerve cells (motor neurons) in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness, wasting and eventual paralysis, affecting movement, speech and breathing. As it stands, there is no cure for MND.

We have set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money and awareness for him and for all MND sufferers.

Myself, my partner Wayne and my twin girls Ella and Chloe (aged 15, nearly 16) will be taking on the challenge of hiking up Snowdon at night on Saturday 1st August 2026 and into the very early hours on Sunday 2nd August. We set out at 2am and will be walking 9.5 miles with over 100 participants and climbing up to a height of 3,560 ft. It’s going to be a challenge (especially in the dark), but nowhere near as much of a challenge that MND sufferers have to endure on a day-to-day basis!

We, as a family, are hopeful that one day, there will be a cure for MND.

Thank you for your support and for taking the time to read this.

Any donations that you can make, will be so greatly appreciated and will help towards hopefully one day finding a cure.

PLEASE NOTE- The funds raised will be split with the wider MND Community and the Worcestershire MND Branch.

Thank you,

Jem xx