The London Marathon

[p]28th Nov. 2018[/p][p]Dear family and friends, [/p][p]Re: London Marathon 2019[/p][p]In 2007 I joined Knighton House School, where I met my long-term friend Sarah Peele. We quickly became close friends and were joined at the hip. Our friendship has continued throughout the years and we are now both studying at Oxford Brookes University. During this time, we have got to know one another’s families extremely well. Sarah’s family being Nick, Debs, George and Charlie, who welcomed me as a regular visitor into their home.[/p][p][br][/p][p]In 2012, Nick (Sarah, George and Charlie’s father), was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. It is a long-term degenerative disease that affects the body’s motor system. The symptoms are unique to the individual and worsen over time. At present, there is no known cure, only symptomatic management of it, and sadly more and more people are being affected by it. In 2018 it is estimated that there are 145,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the UK, with two people being diagnosed with the disease every hour.[/p][p][br][/p][p]Cure Parkinson’s is an extraordinary charity whose focus is to find a cure for this disease. It was founded by Tom Isaacs in 2005 who himself suffered from the disease, and he and the Trust have a goal to discover treatments that change the way the disease progresses and transform the lives of those who live with it. The Cure Parkinson’s Trust has raised and facilitated significant investment into Parkinson’s research, uncovering scientific discoveries that will ultimately lead to a breakthrough while ensuring all research is relevant and targeted. The Trust’s aim is to guide, and promote these efforts to ultimately find a cure. [/p][p][br][/p][p]Nick tragically passed away in January 2018 after a brave and hard-fought battle with this awful disease. He will be remembered fondly by everyone and I am running the London Marathon in his honour to raise money for the Cure Parkinson’s Trust, in the hope that the money raised will bring awareness and help to find a cure for this terrible disease. I would be very grateful for any donation, however big or small, in order to help find a cure.[/p][p][br][/p][p]Thank you so much,[/p][p][br][/p][p]Jemima Mitchell xx[/p]