Alison's trek for her brother
A woman is set to take the high road in a bid to help find a cure for her brother's illness.
Alison Clark, 49, from Garswood, is taking part in the West Highland Way trek to raise money for research on Parkinson's Disease.
Alison and a team of 110 walkers plan to do part or all of the 93-mile hike into the Scottish highlands, from September 14 to 20.
She will be joined by her youngest brother Bryn Williams, 37, a father-of-two from Glasgow, who was diagnosed last year with Young-onset Parkinson's Disease, and her 74-year-old dad, Alec, who has just recovered from stomach cancer.
Alison's other brother, Gareth, 45, who lives in Northern Ireland, will complete the trek and will then cycle back along the same route to raise extra money.
Alison said: "2007 was a horrendous year for us as a family. Not just my dad with stomach cancer, and in September my brother diagnosed with Parkinson's, but my aunt was also diagnosed with breast cancer.
"My dad is so well that he has been in training for the Scottish walk. He plans to do all 93 miles of it.
"We have Bryn and the family's care in hand, but better still would be a cure in his lifetime.
"There is real hope, even for my brother with Parkinson's.
"It all comes down to funding for research. The more money means the more teams working on it, the more information we can gather, and the more chance of getting the trials done sooner rather than later.
"This will mean the difference for my brother of being able to continue to work to pay off the mortgage, see the girls through school and college, and walk them down the aisle."
Alison, who got married last year, has nicknamed herself and her husband Rob, 48, as "Lightweights and Gloryhunters" as they are only able to complete the first and last day of the trek due to work commitments.
She added: "We are taking its demands so seriously we have already this summer climbed Helvellyn in the Lake District and Criffell in Scotland, and aim to do two more high ones in August."
Anyone wanting to donate to their fund, which will mostly be channelled into The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, can visit Bryn's official website www.wobblywilliams.com.
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Thursday 02 September 2010
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